Almost
by Lisa Telramor
Summary: Yen wondered what on earth could be so important that his cousin would wake him up in the middle of the night... Light Yen/Aya, will possibly become more serious. Ch6-a trip to the hospital
1. Chapter 1

"Yen! Psst. Yen-kun."

"Hmm? Aya?" Yen Ragun shifted, looking over the pillow toward where his cousin slept. "What is it? It's the middle of the night." As if to emphasize this, Jin snored loudly, kicking a corner of the blanket off of himself. "Annoying little brother," Yen muttered, fixing it. "Is something wrong?" he asked, returning to look through the darkness.

"Did you know I used to keep track of you before I ended up living here?" Ayato Hisui's voice said softly. "I was always curious about you and how you were doing."

"I kept tabs on you too," Yen muttered, wondering where the conversation was going. Was that really the only reason he'd been woken up in the middle of the night? "And if I remember correctly, we both have student council meetings tomorrow."

Aya chuckled. "Yes, we do…" He sighed. "It was different for me, though. Unlike you, I still remember when we met as toddlers. I still remembered that you were my cousin."

A guilty flush heated Yen's face for a moment before he frowned. "Wait, we met when we were younger? How come I don't remember that?"

"We were really young at the time. You still carried around the toy bear you have on your shelf back then. Anyway, it was before our parents had a fight, back when we still were on speaking terms."

"They had a fight?"

"Yen-kun," came the exasperated response. "You didn't think that we hadn't seen each other in years because it was too hard to take the subway halfway across town did you? Our moms all but stopped speaking to each other over some argument some years ago, and haven't forgiven each other since. Thankfully that grudge doesn't seem to be held against me," he added thoughtfully.

"Oh. I never really thought about why Mom didn't talk about her sister much. I always thought it was because she married into Dad's family and we're pretty secretive and all… It makes a lot of sense though." He rolled over to stare through the dark at the tiny distorted reflections of light that he guessed were Aya's eyes.

"Anyway…" The light in the dark shifted, becoming shadowed again. "Back when we met I was curious. You were smart even back then and I wanted to impress you. That's why I studied so much. Then we entered grade school, and we both ended up in our student councils… It made me happy because it meant that eventually I'd get to meet you." The light was back, and Yen could feel eyes watching him. "I wonder how things would be different if we weren't cousins."

"Aya?" There was an oddly longing tone to the statement that confused him. Why would Aya not want to be his cousin? "It means you can be here now," he ventured, testing to find what was the matter.

"Yes." There was a small sigh. "Am I a burden, Yen-kun?"

"No, of course not. Mom loves having you here, and Jin is glad to have someone who will actually listen to him ramble. Even Dad likes you." He frowned slightly, trying to make out his cousin's expression, but the shadows made it unreadable.

"And you, Yen-kun? Am I a burden to you? I almost got you in trouble before. I take up space in your room. I can't even do anything to help you or Jin out…"

"Don't be like that." Yen sighed. "I like you here. You're actually rational in this madhouse. Besides, I like you Aya. You just being there makes my life easier. You've helped a lot more than you know." He reached out, clumsily, finding an arm, then a hand. He curled his fingers around it. "You're someone I can talk to."

Fingers tightened around his. "Thanks, Yen-kun. Goodnight."

Yen watched the darkness in confusion before mentally shrugging. Either Aya would tell him, or he wouldn't. Oddly, he felt reminiscent of the time where Aya had asked him why he wouldn't use his nickname. Was Aya mad at him? Was he disappointed? Lonely? Yen closed his eyes. He would think about it later. He had school to focus on in the morning and he had plenty of sleep to catch up on. His fingers relaxed in the warm grip of his cousin's and he fell asleep.

* * *

It took him a long time to get it. For someone as smart as he was he could often be—and often was—rather dense.

"Why didn't he just say it?" Yen wondered to himself, over a year after the discussion had occurred. "Why couldn't he just come out and tell me everything?" But of course he couldn't. He was Ayato Hisui, and secrets were as common to him as they were to Yen. They breathed them, from the time they were tiny children, to their growing maturity. Secrets were part of daily life on both sides of their breached family.

Things made much more sense, Yen thought, than they did that night. For one he knew more about why his mother had disowned her own sister. Why Aya had come to live with them. Why everything was so turned around in their lives. For another, he knew himself better. Aya had known him more than he had, it seemed. He always had been one step ahead of Yen, be it in schooling, or train of thought. That had long ceased to annoy him like it once had.

And he knew Aya. He had finally gotten past the smiling charade and learned who the person was underneath. It made him wonder why he hadn't seen it before. It irked him that it had taken a kiss to make things come into focus.

Yen touched his lips for a hundredth time, wondering how he was going to look his cousin in the eye after that. But he had needed it, he thought regretfully. He had needed it or he would have gone on misunderstanding both of them. Ayato and himself. "How did he know?" he groused. "All the way back then, how did he _know?_" He'd loved Aya for a while and hadn't even noticed. Heck, he might have liked him before he knew they were related back when he obsessed over him and held him up as a rival. Aya had been a focal point in his life for a long, long time.

Still…to kiss him, then vanish… Yen sighed. He wasn't sure why he was even surprised. After all, it had only been temporary to begin with. Aya would show up again, he was sure of it. He was, of course, in the gakushi circle. It was something Yen should have seen coming from the moment he learned the truth about the fight. He sighed against his fingers. He only hoped his cousin would accept his answer.

* * *

**AN: **This will likely be a one shot. This is as far as my muse currently took me. But if a lot of people show interest, I might be inspired to write more. There are a lot of onenings in the original plot that hint at things that are never mentioned again. I could build off these. But I won't do so unless I think someone is interested in reading it. And if you dislike shonen-ai, I appologize. Although, Yen/Aya is cannon. Book 3 pretty much shows us that. Alright, that's all. Read and review please! And the characters are genius (and lazy) Sugisaki-sama's. I would bow to her, but I am displeased at her inability to finish her epic series.


	2. Chapter 2

**CH 2** _Note: this is pure speculation based off how I found it odd that Aya a) could touch the gakuki, and b) received a paper 'bird' message from his mother. This seems to indicate that he is in some way involved with the gakushi life style. C) And really, how many people don't even know the name of their first cousin that lives in the same city you do?_

_AN: I continued it! Not sure where I'm going with this though. Uh, can anyone say complete and total AU? And it suddenly got angsty. Ah, well. I believe in happy endings. Will hopefully still continue it. Please read and review! Comments motivate me to write more. :)_

* * *

It's raining. It has been raining for hours, not that it makes a difference. If it were snowing, if it were hailing, if the world itself was collapsing around him, he would still be kneeling there, focusing his energy and biding his time. That was his job. His only job.

He wasn't like Yen or Jin, or most other members of their family. He hadn't been blessed with a maga partner at birth. And yet somehow, he Ayato Hosui had been born knowing his Omi name. In truth, he should have been born without it. He was useless in a fight, and he wasn't able to engage in battle with maga, but he had been born with other powers that made him useful to his family.

A tiny sigh escaped his lips as Aya thought about his family. His father dabbled a bit too close to the edge as a gakushi, his mother had a tendency to get lost in research and work and never come home. And there were his cousins… Yen… For a second he felt his surroundings, shivering with the wet and cold, then it passed and he was in the tranquility of his meditation once more.

One would think he would know better than to fall for his male cousin, but apparently he didn't know better. It was an annoyance that he didn't want to dwell on too much. After all, he had a job to carry out, and there wasn't room for such attachments in it. He should never have gone to live with them. Sure, it had bridged the gap a bit between their families, and he had learned quite a bit while he was there, but… The distraction almost wasn't worth it. Before he had been satisfied with watching his relatives from afar. Now he wanted to join them and help them with their quests rather than fulfilling his own. His father would be displeased if he knew the conflict his son was going through. After all, the man only saw black and white. You were with him or rebelling, and the so called 'rebellion' had been one more factor that cut the families apart all those years ago.

Rain dripped down the side of his face, pooled where his legs and elbows bent, soaking his hair and the thin white robe he was wearing. At any other time he would have been freezing. That night, however, was the ritual, and he had to be ready to play his part. Any minute now his father would pass by with the signal and he would react.

No power to fight at all. No power to capture or to suppress. No power to create, no power to destroy… But he could attract them. Maga were drawn to him and always had been. They could take control of him even, if he wasn't prepared. Their minds would reach out and latch on, and so long as he was in his meditative state, he could reach back, and it would be a mental battle of the wills. It was not true fighting. He did not seek out its name or it seek out his. They already existed on the same plane. It was merely one will trying to impose itself on the other, and inevitably he would gain the upper hand. His father would capture the maga, it would be bound to an object, and in the future it would serve him family. This was his sole purpose, his sole use to the ranks of the gakushi. It made him lonelier and more outcast than ever.

The sound of movement brushed into his consciousness. A small animal, perhaps. Then there was more. The maga was coming. The rustle that suddenly occurred to his left should have been a minor distraction, especially since it came from the opposite direction of the planned capture. Only the rustle was paired with a very familiar voice.

"Aya?"

His heart skipped a beat. No, he couldn't be here, not then! Aya clung to his meditation, desperately holding onto the mental strength he had built up. He couldn't be distracted! Not then! Not with the maga so close.

Footsteps moved closer, hesitant and wary. "It is you…" the voice confirmed. "What…"

The maga crashed through the trees, zeroing in on him. Almost involuntarily, Aya's eyes snapped open. He glanced at Yen for a fleeting moment as he moved to meet the maga, and then it was a closed world. Mind pressed against mind with spiking spiraling touches of consciousness warring for each other's weaknesses. Yen was… No, he couldn't think about… Concentrate on… There was a feeling akin to pain, only it was on a spiritual rather than physical level. Hurt… It was dragging… No. He wouldn't let it… Still, it had to be still. Suddenly he had control and he came back to the world in confusion.

Yen was by his side, supporting him even as he helped restrain the maga. "Koga!" the boy commanded sharply. His maga companion moved forward, rapidly sifting for names.

Aya struggled for coherency. "No!" he gasped. Where was his father? He was supposed to be sealing it. He was supposed to have been right behind it. "Don't banish it!"

Yen glanced at him from beneath his mask, but didn't move. The maga was captured in his barrier for the moment, but he wasn't at yuusei. Aya could see his thoughts as clear as day as he struggled against his training and the desire to follow through with his cousin's request.

"Ayato!" his father's voice echoed as he entered the clearing.

Aya flinched, keeping his eyes on Yen. He was still in control as of yet. He still held the maga…but with Yen's help. What was the point if his cousin was doing the work for him? Where did his usefulness go then? He didn't want to lose his place.

There was a tug on his consciousness, and he shuddered as the maga was sealed into an innocent looking scroll. It almost hurt, being forcibly separated like that. But of course it was never the pain you could see. How many mental wounds did he have now? He turned to look at Yen grimly, his hair pasted to his scalp by the ever-steady rain. "Why are you here?"

The confidence Yen had shown so far seemed to falter slightly. "I was called to deal with a maga," he admitted. "I didn't know you were going to be targeting it as well."

"Ragun-san," Aya's father said coldly, taking in the situation. "I believe you are intruding in our clan affairs."

Yen's lips pursed slightly, but he bowed as befitting the heir of the Ragun. "I apologize, Hosui-san. I was not warned of possible overlap of interests."

"You should not have meddled. We can handle our own problems."

"I reacted without thought," Yen admitted calmly. "I supposed my cousin to be in danger. I assume I was mistaken."

Hosui's eyes narrowed. He glanced irritatedly at his son. "You need more discipline. You allowed yourself to be distracted."

The anger Aya wished he could express stirred, an old feeling that had no outlet. He was a dutiful son. He couldn't appear anything else or it would mean more trouble than the tiny act of rebellion would be worth. "Yes father," he said in a monotonous voice. "I promise to do better in the future." He could feel Yen's worried glance. Of course he was worried. He had seen enough of Aya to know that this was not his true personality. It was wrong that he wanted to reach out, to reassure that it was only to please his father. But of course he could not do that.

His father held up the scroll, squinting at it before glancing a final time at his son. "Meditate for another hour. You need to learn to shut out distractions." The scroll was tucked into his belt as he turned away dismissively. "Ragun-san, I suggest you return to your own territory and leave maga problems here to the Hosui."

"Of course," Yen said with equal chill and distaste. He met the other man's eyes dispassionately. The elder was the first to look away. "I hope our future encounters are not so unfortunate."

"I hope there will be no cause for further encounters." The man glared one last time and ghosted away, most likely back to the party of gakushi that had herded the maga that direction.

Aya slumped the second he was out of sight. Instantly, Yen's hand was on his elbow supporting him.

"How long have you been out here?" he demanded. The thin robe his cousin wore was soaked through, and he was shivering slightly. Pulling a glove off with his teeth, he checked his temperature. "You're going to have a cold."

Flushing at the sudden contact, Aya pulled away. "It doesn't matter. I was doing my duty."

"Duty shouldn't endanger your life and health so easily," Yen said scowling. He sighed. "I knew I'd see you again."

Aya raised an eyebrow. "We're cousins. In all likelihood, even as estranged as our families are right now, we would see each other again eventually. The whole gakushi business aside, that is."

"I know that. You know that's not what I meant."

He did know. He just didn't want to look too closely at what that conviction meant. It was bad enough he was already in love with his cousin. He didn't need to think any deeper beyond that realization.

"Aya…" He turned to find Yen kneeling next to him. "I need to ask you something." He took a breath and glanced at Koga for support. "Why did you kiss me and leave? Why then?"

"Why do it at all, or why when I left?" Aya countered. He curled and arm around his legs, shivering. "I left because I couldn't stay any longer. I was treading a fine line being there at all. With Mom and Dad fighting over my position in all this… it was better to live with you for a while. But they couldn't fight forever, and the outcome was pretty predictable. My dad never loses an argument to Mom in the long run. So I left before they could call me back and stir up trouble." He glanced sideways at Yen, lashes shielding his eyes from scrutiny. "I kissed you because I wanted to. I had wanted to for a long time, and I knew it might be the last time I could claim you as both friend and family. You can see what my father is like. I won't be allowed away again."

"Aya…" He looked sad, Aya thought. Funny since if anyone should feel sad, it should be him. Instead he felt numb. A chilled gloveless hand pushed back his hair so that it no longer covered his eyes. "You don't have to follow him, you know," Yen said softly. "You're always welcome back home. Jin misses you. So does Mom, though I think she wants someone to sympathize with her."

It was tempting, so very tempting, but Aya knew he would chose his parents over his adopted family nine times out of ten. He owed them. They needed him. The Ragun's didn't. "I'm sorry," he replied, knowing it would erase the small smile that had formed on Yen's face as he thought of his relatives. "I want to, but I can't."

"Won't," Yen corrected. He didn't look mad though, only slightly disappointed, as if he had known what would happen, but had tried anyway. He started to stand up, only to pause, wavering unsteadily in a half crouch. "I never did respond to you did I?" Aya frowned, not quite sure what he meant, but finding out seconds later as Yen kissed him back, a reply to his own months earlier.

Aya stiffened, unsure how to respond, then relaxed as Yen didn't pull back quickly or try to explain his actions. He kissed back. For a moment the rain wasn't there, and he was warm. The next, it was over, and Yen was pulling away, leaving him confused on the ground.

"That's your answer," he said, unable to look him in the eye. "Just so you know for the future." More seriously he added, "And remember, if you ever need it…my door is open."

"Thanks…Yen." He tasted like water and something salty. Perhaps it was sweat.

"You should get someplace dry," his cousin said with awkwardness that took him back several years to when he had first started living with him. It made him smile.

"I will." He watched Yen walk away, looking back frequently, like he wanted to say more. He could guess all of what he might say, just like Yen undoubtedly knew how he would answer. He waited until he was out of sight to settle on the wet ground again. His father would know if he disobeyed, after all…


	3. Chapter 3

**AN CH 3: **_Hmm. Just realized it's Yen's mom's MAIDEN name that Hosui. Which means either Aya doesn't have a father, or his mom never took the name. Buuut, we're just going to ignore that little detail. I have no idea what Aya's father's name would be anyway. Hosui works well enough for now. Pity I didn't remember it sooner or it could have been incorporated. But by this point Yen's already called Aya's father Hosui. Still not entirely sure what I'm doing with this... But it's going as it will. Hmm... Read & Review please!_

* * *

Yen sometimes wondered about who had come up with the phrase 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' The statement was certainly true for him, even if he doubted its creator had been in quite as awkward a situation as he found himself. Cousins, both heirs to gakushi bloodlines, but only one of them a gakushi. Families estranged, constantly worrying about how his cousin was being treated. He sighed. Once. Just once in the past six months had he come across him, and what he saw had not been heartening. What kind of parent made his child sit out in the rain for hours without even waterproof clothes?

His first impression of Aya's father hadn't been very positive either. Sealing maga wasn't strange for their occupation, but the man had seemed so uncaring about the event, using his own son as bait. It pissed him off.

"Yen? Could you come help set the table?" He glanced up to see his mother in the doorway. It was a rare day that she cooked.

"Sure, Mom. I'll be right there." He got to his feet letting his all but forgotten homework slide off his lap.

"Are you ok?" she asked. "You've had a strange look on your face lately. Like you're worrying about something."

Yen smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. I've just been thinking."

She still looked worried for a moment, hesitating. "I know it's asking a lot for you to start taking over with your duties as heir at fourteen… I know that it's stressful."

He shook his head. "I'm fine Mom, it's nothing like that. I have been balancing work and school for years. I just have some things that I needed to think about."

A mischievous look glinted I her eyes. "Is it about girls?"

Yen rolled his eyes. "No. No matter how much you and Jin try to bring everything back around to my interests in women, for the last time, I'm not thinking about girls."

"There's that nice girl you always visit, Kirishima-san? She's pretty cute."

"We're just friends Mom. And weren't you in the middle of cooking?"

His mother paled. "Oh, shi—"

He held back a laugh as she dashed down the hall. Even when she tried to be motherly, she'd always be his unorthodox parent. His smile faded, the frown returning to his face. It wasn't like he could tell her or Jin that the reason he wasn't looking at girls and why he was so serious lately was due to his cousin. His duties as heir were difficult, but truly he was more worried about Aya than he was about his own situation. He had his family to guide and support him. Did Aya have his?

After dinner—which was surprisingly still edible—he was unexpectedly taken aside by his father.

"Yen, could we talk for a moment?"

Yen glanced at Jin where he was complaining about having to do the dishes and arguing with their mother. He raised an eyebrow.

"Just, you," his father clarified.

Shrugging, Yen followed him down the hall, Koga padding by his side. His maga companion had grown a lot in recent years. Soon he wouldn't be able to move easily indoors with him out. The thought distracted him, adding a bit to the loneliness he was feeling. He snapped back to attention when his father slid the door shut behind him. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

He was studied for a moment, then words came with calm detachment, much like most assignments his father gave. He listened patiently, knowing his father would reach his point eventually. "You have been a gakushi your whole life, trained since you could first recognize Koga as your maga, and you have learned all that the books in our home can teach you about maga. Alongside their knowledge is your own experience, which has allowed you to grow. But you are still growing, still learning."

Yen nodded, without interrupting. Of course he was still learning. He was nowhere near his father or grandfather's level yet, even if he was a fast learner. As a perception type, it was understandable that he learned faster than fighting types like Jin, but there also lie some of his problems. He could easily identify his enemy, but defeating it required more strength than he often had. He could capture, but not fight. He tried to balance by learning to fight and defend, but it wasn't his nature, and it often caused more difficulties in the long run.

"One day you will be family head. You are already taking on duties befitting of this role as its heir. But you have yet to learn much about the clans outside of our own." His father sighed. "You know of gakushi who use the skills of music or dance in their abilities to fight. You use them as well. You also know of the Kamen Kugutsushi that act as our opposites, chaos to our order, who use maga for their own purposes. But you have yet to experience much in the gray areas of our world."

A tiny frown was forming on Yen's face. "You mean Aya's father, don't you."

The Ragun head nodded solemnly. "Aya's clan works a bit differently than ours. They too are born with Maga and know their Omi name, but they are less mediators of the maga as they are controllers. They capture spirits on their territory and are capable of controlling them. In the past they were the equivalent of mercenaries if you were to consider our clan more like guards. We protect and mediate. They capture and turn the power against greater dangers they might come across. This came about likely due to a strange ability that is occasionally born into their family… a sort of empathy link with maga created by the accidental—or purposeful—separation of a maga from its gakushi at birth. It leaves a void needing to be filled…"

"And attracts maga…" Yen finished, feeling chilled. "You mean that Aya has this ability, don't you?"

"Yes." He watched his son carefully, noting the mixture of worry and disgust on his face.

"Was he born that way or…?"

"That is something that I would like to find out. Even for the sake of a clan, it is frowned upon to force a child into this state. After all, it is like removing a portion of its soul. This occurring naturally is rare enough, and it is valuable to their clan due to their strength through captured maga, but even if one were born that way it would be a terrible burden."

"I've been…worried," Yen said slowly. "Ever since I crossed paths with Aya on that assignment. He didn't look like he was doing well. They had him sitting for hours in the rain. I don't know how their policies work, but it seems obvious that he's viewed less as a person than as a tool." He bit his lip, seeing Aya shiver in his mind all over again. He wondered if he had actually gotten out of the rain or if he had stayed like he had been told. "I want to help him."

"If we could get away with interfering, I'd have done something about the situation already," his father said seriously. "But I can't. It would be a serious breach of the fragile relationship we currently have going. When your aunt married into their family I had hoped…but of course things don't turn out the way we want them to."

This was, Yen reflected, probably the most he had seen of his father's thoughts in a long time. Usually he kept aloof as a sort of mentoring figure, but ever since he had become heir, he had slowly begun to know his father as a person, not just as a goal to live up to. "I know this would be unusual," he said hesitantly, "but perhaps I could act as a go between or something? Hosui-san didn't seem particularly happy with me, but as he is married to my aunt he couldn't outright reject my presence. Not without provocation."

The sealed maga in books from Aya's family are related to the stolen books from the kamen kugutsushi

There was a considering silence, but it quickly turned into a shake of the head. "No," came the decision. "We can't spare the effort at the moment. Another problem has come up with the Kamen Kugutsushi. They are taking an interest in sealed maga again. Maga that have been sealed for centuries are showing up and causing havoc. The problem is, we haven't figured out where they are coming from yet."

"Really?" It was rare for his father not to know something as important as that. Then again, these weren't the training assignments he had gone on with Jin all those years ago. His father no longer knew how they would end up, and he could no longer guard his back all the time.

"No, although most have come from the north. It isn't our territory to patrol, but they have been crossing over to our land. I'm planning on meeting with the head to our north. He shouldn't be letting the maga get out of hand."

"I should patrol," Yen decided. "If a maga disrupts something Koga and I will clean it up. I should probably tell Jin to be on his guard too."

"No." Yen blinked and glanced up. "I have a different task for Jin. He's going to be out of town for a while, and he shouldn't have something to distract him from his task. Knowing him, he'd worry about Erei and forget his task completely."

Yen was frowning, but he covered it quickly. Patrol without Jin? Sure, they no longer did everything together, but the idea of withholding information didn't sit well with him. He wouldn't have any ready backup either. Perhaps Mikami would be in the area. If he got in over his head, the defensive type gakushi would at least help him to escape. "Of course, Dad," he said, outwardly showing no sign of his thoughts. The older man was equally unreadable when he glanced up. It seemed that the more he got to know him, the less he actually knew…and the more like him he became. Yen felt that his habit of keeping secrets had grown rather than shrunk in recent years, his questionable relationship with Aya aside.

"That's all for tonight, Yen." His father said smiling. "I'm sure you are busy with your homework, so I'll let you go for tonight."

Yen nodded, retreating to his room. And it was his room now that Jin had gotten his own the year before. He sighed as he opened the window. It wasn't raining that night, but the air was cold. It would be winter soon. The moon was just poking out from behind the clouds, a thin sliver of silver light through dark grey. Something white flashed in the corner of his vision, and Yen turned to follow the progress of a small paper bird. It slid in a lazy arc through a faint breeze before coming to rest at his elbow.

"Is is from Kirishima-san?" he muttered, picking it up and flipping it over. The familiar spell markings were the same, but the handwriting on it wasn't Kirishima's. "Aya…" He glanced around quickly before feeling a bit silly. There wasn't anything odd about receiving a message. It happened all the time with missions or if his parents needed to contact him. Still, he felt self conscious. It was from _Aya_ after all.

He flipped it over again to read the writing.

_Watch your back. The maga have been restless lately. Father is too stubborn to ask for help, but we are managing. There have been odd rumors going around about the Ragun. I thought you should know. Be safe,_

_~ Aya_

It was almost funny that it came just after the discussion he had had with his father, but it made him feel warm all the same. Unconsciously, he traced the letters. Should he write back? Would Aya get in trouble if he wrote back?

Yen wanted to write back. To communicate with Aya after so long, even through written messages at a distance was preferable to nothing at all. But too many messages would not be good either. They were usually only reserved for important messages, and while he thought communication was important, he had a feeling that Aya's family wouldn't agree. One message, though… One message couldn't hurt. Just one of many for the heir of a clan, right?

Feeling guilty without quite knowing why, he pulled a matching paper bird from his desk, hovering over it as he tried to decide what to write. It was stupid, he thought. He was just writing to Aya. It didn't matter what he said, it was writing at all that was important.

_Kamen kugutsushi are moving again. They might be the source of maga problems. Thank you for the heads up. Try to stay out of danger if you can. If you need help, let us know. _

_~Yen_

It felt like he should write something more, like 'love' or 'missing you,' but he didn't. It would have felt too cliché and too lonely. He was missing Aya, but admitting it on paper wouldn't make it any better. Yen sighed and folded its wings, moving to the window. It was dark out, and raining again. "Don't get wet," he muttered to the message, then he tossed it out into the night. Aya would get it later, and then everything would be fine. He might even respond eventually… If he could get away with it without drawing suspicion. Yen sighed. It wasn't likely he'd get a reply. He wouldn't even hope for as much.

He shut the window as he heard Jin stomp down the hall. Predictably, his brother poked his head into the room.

"G'night. Mom wants you to pack your own lunch in the morning. She has a deadline to meet soon."

"When doesn't she?" Yen said rolling his eyes. "Good night, Jin."

His brother paused for a moment more. "Did Dad say anything important earlier?"

There was a moment when Yen knew he should feel guilty for leaving his brother out of the loop, but as usual it never came. He wondered if it was because he rationalized the necessity to the point where his subconscious even agreed. "Just some stuff about missions. He has a task coming up for you."

"Really?" Jin's eyes lit up. "It's been forever since he's given me anything to do. I want to go kick maga butt!"

Yen smiled. "I'm sure there will be plenty. You realize he would give you more tasks if you stopped rushing in head first? I can't always be around to pull you out of your messes."

His brother scoffed. "Ah, I can handle myself fine. Sora 'n me'll beat anything that comes at us."

"Your grammar's slipping again."

"So? You're the next head. I'm just the muscle. No one will expect me to talk all fancy like you."

"Jin…"

Sensing an oncoming lecture, his brother ducked out fast. "Later, Yen-nii."

"Good night, Jin," Yen repeated. He flopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Koga manifested across the room and looked at him questioningly.

"Am I still doing my job correctly?" he asked. "I'm keeping things from Jin, and from Dad. I'm taking too much of an interest in my cousin, which in turn means I'm meddling in his clan affairs. And I find myself wanting to ignore all protocol and just up and take Aya away from there. You know?"

He listened to Koga's response for a long while. "Yeah," he said finally. "It's not rational at all. That's how these things go, though, right?" He sighed. "And we both know just how _much_ experience I have in that…" Yen was glad his maga was smart. If he had been talking to Sora, his sarcasm would have been missed completely. "Hmm. I don't know where this is going, Koga. You'll help though, right?" He smiled at the warm emotions coming from his partner. Koga was wonderful. His last thought before drifting off to sleep was if Aya would ever be able to have a partner to fill his void like Koga did for him…


	4. Chapter 4

**CH 4: **_Does anyone remember what the message birds are called? My brain keeps coming up with kamadori, but I don't currently have my collection of manga with me to check the facts. This is what I get for deciding to take DN Angel with me to college instead this year. -_- Not that this is a bad thing. Sigh. If anyone can let me know, I will be eternally grateful!_

* * *

A letter, nothing more than a collection of kanji and hiragana, but it brightened his day more that he would have ever anticipated. Aya fingered the paper again, wondering where he should hide it. His father was strangely paranoid about what he kept. His room really didn't have much in it besides what he needed for everyday life. Most of the papers even were just schoolwork. So the letter would have to be hidden. The thought of destroying evidence of communication was preposterous, even though it probably would have been the smarter decision. He didn't really have anything else other than that battered photo he had saved from the trip to the country. It was the only one he had with both Yen and himself in it, smiling, if caught off guard by Yen's grandparents' antics. It had been a fun trip.

He smiled again as he looked at the pen strokes. Yen's serious nature was in every one, and even if it was a warning, he could practically see him bent over it, trying to decide what to write and what to leave out. It had been the right decision to send the message.

Sobering, Aya contemplated the situation. Things were getting bad. Maga were showing up everywhere, and he had hardly had a day of rest in weeks. More and more often, his father was relying on him, and he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't exactly refuse. He had a duty, and besides, he was truly needed. Masato from the branch family had been seriously injured a few days ago when he had been slow reacting to a maga. And then there were the rumors about the Ragun… He wished he knew who was spreading them.

At first they had just been odd, and enough to make you wonder, pointing out a certain action from the past, or mildly hinting at something that wouldn't be the first drawn conclusion. But recently they had turned darker. The rumors ranged from questioningd the head's reasoning from choosing the wife he had, to his method of training his children, and even hinted at darker purposes behind why Yen had risen to his role as heir so soon.

What irked him was that, while he was sure that his uncle had his motivations, he was also sure there weren't darker intentions attached. He wanted his children to be successful, and while his relationship with his wife wasn't conventional, from what he had witnessed, he seemed to care about her a great deal. More than could be said about his own family. Aya considered that it might be his father spreading the rumors, and shrugged. What did it matter who was spreading them? That they were being spread at all had far reaching implications. The Ragun were losing power as their long standing leaders of the gakushi world. Someone was rising in the ranks, and it seemed they were the competitive type.

Competitive enough to unleash maga on the rest of society? Now that was the real question, wasn't it…

Aya tucked the message into the ceiling, using the hole the light socket created, where he had all his other trinkets stashed. There were a lot of odds and ends he had collected over the years, from mementos of trips, photographs, to small gifts he had been given in the past. It was the one place he figured his father wouldn't look. Oh, he would likely check the light fixture, but so long as the screws were tight, he wouldn't think that Aya pulled the whole socket out just to hide things from him. It helped that he was mislead by the false bottom in one of the drawers. Living in his house meant you had to be one step ahead, and Aya had learned early on just what kind of ingenuity that required.

As he was replacing the screws, he heard the sound of a chime echo through the house. Dinner. He hated the meal. Unlike the liveliness at the Ragun's, it was always tense and silent, punctuated by his father's sharp comments or occasionally a rare bit of news on progress in his mother's research. Once she had filled the silence with her chatter and excitement, but those days were long past and her breakthroughs were few and far between. He almost missed those days.

"Ayato." His father's voice rang out from behind his closed door, and he hastily got off his bed.

"I'm coming!" he said quickly. The door opened to show the older man. He had dark circles under his eyes. "You are coming to dinner, right?" Aya asked slightly hesitantly.

Seeing that his son was coming, the man didn't answer. With a pointed glance, he began walking down the hallway leaving Aya to catch up on his own. Aya sighed. It was one of _those_ nights. His mother was already in the room, even now a research book sitting by her side. He was momentarily reminded of aunt Akane, but then she looked up and the memory was shattered. He sat, careful as always not to draw too much attention.

Two bites later, he knew it was unsuccessful by the way his father was glancing at him. It took ten more carefully chewed mouthfuls before the man finally said anything.

"Ayato."

"Yes father?" He politely set his chopsticks down, giving his full attention. His father usually appreciated this.

"Don't stay after class tomorrow. You're needed."

"Yes father," Aya responded, and that was the extent of their dinner conversation. As always, he took the dishes to the kitchen to wash up. His mother hadn't even looked at him as she handed him her empty dish. Seeing her so buried in her work, he almost couldn't believe she had once defended him against his father. Looking at her now, no one would even think she had once been strong willed enough to marry outside of her parents' approval.

The clack of the bowls and the soft sounds of running water were his only companions. Once in the past there had been a girl hired to do cooking and cleaning. She had left suddenly one day and they had never hired a replacement. Aya had a sneaking suspicion as to why, since shortly after his mother had cut herself off from the family even more by burying herself in her studies. Now they rotated who cooked. Father cooked once a week, Mother cooked weekends, and he cooked the rest of the week. Occasionally they got take out. For all that they appeared like a rich family on the outside, they were only so in appearance. His school like all other aspects of his life had been chosen to give an impression of stability, ingenuity, and success in hopes of attracting more customers. It helped, but Aya couldn't help but feel that the extravagance required to keep up the act could have been better spent. Try telling that to his father though.

He sighed, turning off the water and drying the last bowl. A final drop of water echoes in the now empty sink. Was it so much to wish for, a little noise? The silence was more oppressive than his job. Aya closed his eyes for a moment, fixing the image of Yen arguing with Jin as their mother tossed wads of paper at them and that editor of hers squealed about nearly being stepped on and his uncle laughing at it all. The chill of the house around him receded a bit with the memory. He could even smile for a moment, even though he knew that when he opened his eyes it would be to the same unwelcoming home as ever. The memories helped though. They were what had kept him whole for the past six months.

Yen understood why he couldn't come back, he was sure. His cousin had his own duties. He could easily empathize with him. Sadly, this didn't make it any easier. If Aya didn't know better, he would think that he would never be looked at seriously in his own house. He was heir in name only. His second cousin would be the real heir. He was just a figure head. A tool. There was a cracking sound, and Aya realized he had snapped the chopsticks he had been holding.

Ruefully, he examined the now useless eating utensils. At least they were his own. He would have to get a new pair. He would have to use the set he took to school until he got the chance to buy another.

Later, as he lay down in his bed, he looked at the light fixture where he had hidden his precious mementos and smiled. Those bits and pieces were more meaningful, more real than what was around him, and one day things wouldn't be like they were then anymore. He would be able to do what he really wanted, not what his father wanted. He could have as noisy of a house as he wanted. He wouldn't have to send secret messages. He would just pick up the phone and call, or better yet go visit. He would only study when he wanted to, and he would only be maga bait when he chose to, not when his father deemed him a useful tool. The idea made him smile even wider. He couldn't very well change what he was, but damn it if he wouldn't have some control over his life. A few more years and he wouldn't have to listen. If he wanted he could leave all the expectations. After all, he was just a figurehead anyway. Maybe Yen would share his home again… Maybe. Someday….

Nothing had really changed, going from elementary school to middle school. And in a few months he would be entering high school. He wasn't really sure what he thought about that. His school had an elevator system. He was assured of having a class in high school, and just as assured of getting into a university, one of the perks of paying for a private school. But it was still the same. He had still been elected to student council. Heck, in a few years, he would likely be elected again. For some reason he was popular, though he never did anything other than be polite and keep himself at the top of his class. So while his life had changed dramatically, at the same time nothing had. Being in school was a step back away from reality, and it was both a blessing and an annoyance.

"Hosui-sempai!"

With practiced patience and years of faking interest, he turned to smile at yet another person who had interrupted his lunch break. "Mistune-san," he said calmly. "How can I help you?" She was a year younger than him, if he remembered correctly, and on the girl's football team.

"Did you get our club documents? Isani-san said she would turn them in, but she's been out sick for the last week." The girl frowned, as if she were more worried about her teammate than the documents, but was doing her duty as team captain.

"I think I saw them earlier." Aya thought back to a few days prior and the numerous documents he had sifted through for approval. "You requested funding for an end of the year event, correct?"

"Yes, we always put on a party for the people graduating, but our treasurer forgot to include it in our original budget request."

"I believe Kaoru-kun filed it. You'll most likely receive notification in a few days." He smiled as she looked relieved.

"Thank goodness. I don't know what I'd do if we weren't able to have a farewell dinner." She grinned. "Thank you, Sempai."

"Thank Kaoru-kun," he replied. "He brought it to my attention."

"I will! Thanks!" She ran off to join a group of girls who had been loitering at the end of the hall, and Aya took a slow breath before letting the cheerful persona fall. It wasn't that he enjoyed deceiving people. It was simply that he had an image to hold. It made him feel horribly like his parents and their posturing sometimes, but he knew the kind of place he was in, if he slipped up it would be bad. The people he was classmates with would be his classmates until he graduated from University. They were also the best and the brightest with plenty of wealth to go around. Get on the bad side of one of them, and it could spell ruin for his family, and for all his mixed feelings for them, he didn't want that.

The chill that had come from the Kamen kugutsushi, the boy who had infiltrated the school, living by his side, was gone. Yen and Jin had found him when they had snuck into his school for the mission to find the maga haunting the poem game, but for some reason he still felt uneasy. It was unnerving to know that what should have been safe hadn't been. While he was vaguely sure there wasn't currently a maga or a member of the enemy at his school currently, the permeating feeling of wrongness wouldn't leave.

What did the Kamen kugutsushi _do_ to make the very air feel heavy lately? Even people without spiritual powers were starting to take notice. Of course, when the natural order of things becomes chaos and supposedly inanimate objects start being destructive, even the most closed eyed people would start to take notice. Now if only he could connect the odd rumors to what was happening now… Perhaps an attempt at subverting power? Or causing it to change hands… Cause trouble for the main powers, then when chaos has ensued, step in and put things right. It would instantly result in power for whichever family or group could succeed. But that didn't feel quite right somehow…

The feeling of something brushing against his mental shields made him freeze. Was that..? Yes, it was. What was a maga doing on his school campus? Especially considering he had his shields up, blacking whatever it was that maga usually latched onto when they searched him out. But sure enough, there it was again. It shouldn't even know he was there, let alone be attempting to lock onto him.

Aya felt like swearing. Only years of having manners forced upon him kept him from doing so. This couldn't be happening here, at his school, in the middle of the day, when he didn't have anyone around to help him out! There were bystanders here! Sure, Yen and Jin had fought a maga here once, but there had been so few witnesses… Aya swallowed, evaluating his choices.

One, he could stay where he was, finish his lunch, and go back to class as if nothing was wrong, sending a message to his father to send some sort of help. He would hope that nothing happened in the meantime. Two, he could search the maga out, and try to isolate it before it was noticed. If he did that he would likely be stuck in a stalemate with it for hours until his father showed up to find out why he wasn't back yet. Three, he could lure it somewhere private and more or less repeat plan two, only with probably less witnesses. Four, he could send a message and stay where he was so that he could react however the situation called for.

His hand moved toward his pocket where he kept emergency message birds. Already his mind was racing. It wasn't really much of a choice. He wasn't going to endanger his classmates, and he wasn't the type to outright sacrifice himself without hope of rescue. No matter what Yen seemed to think. He wrote as fast as he could, not even looking at where the bird flew as he tossed it over his shoulder, already running for the roof. Someone called out his name, but he didn't glance back to see who.

Minutes later, he slammed the door open. Truthfully the door should have been locked, but now wasn't really the time to be criticizing the actions of the staff for forgetting to lock it. A boy was smoking near the fence. He jumped at the sudden noise and gaped at Aya's alert expression.

"You might want to leave," Aya said crisply. "I'll even forget that I saw you smoking underage."

The boy's mouth shut with a click, realization of who was standing in front of him crashing over him. "Well shi—"

"Go!" Aya snarled. The boy bolted, and Aya jammed the door behind him before steadying himself with a slow breath. _Ok,_ he thought. _That's one thing done… Now just the lure…_ That was the easy part. Settling into a seated position, he let go of his control for a few seconds, the power signal that maga found irresistible pouring out strong. If there were more time he would better clear his thoughts, but as he wasn't willing to risk his classmates' wellbeing, he would just have to bear with the consequences.

Hardly a minute later, the maga burst onto the roof, surging up over the edge from the courtyard. It vaguely resembled a cross between a snake and an owl, a grotesque bird face and wings where the snake's head should be and talons lagging several feet behind on its coils. Aya shivered. He didn't know this particular maga. While he knew enough to spot the more common, he wasn't a trained perception type like Yen. It felt strong though. Already he could feel it pressing against his mental shields trying to claim him. Regaining his focus as the thing coiled around him, he fought back.

Emotions that weren't his own tried to fill him. He shoved them aside firmly with the light airy feelings he stored in his most pleasant memories. Illusory pain ran up his arms. He retaliated by forcing the impression of blindness on his attacker. The distraction bought him a minute before it was back again, adding physical pressure from its long body tightening around him even as it commenced the mental equivalent trying to make his shields pop. Aya ignored them both, knowing they were futile. Instead he focused on undermining its consciousness, leaking his thoughts into its own until it was almost indistinguishable as to what it thought on its own and what he made it think. The coils loosened.

He only had a second to feel relieved before he found himself suddenly full of pain. What the heck? The consciousness he was tangled with so intimately was ripped violently from his own, and he screamed, unsure if it was in mind or body. It was like losing a limb. Tendrils of his mind were pulled off and had to struggle to pull themselves back together. As Aya found himself with a face full of concrete, he knew his father had arrived. Only _he_ wouldn't spare a thought to what interrupting a mental battle could do.

Groaning, Aya rolled slowly onto his side in time to see his father's maga partner seal whatever the thing had been into a thick papered scroll. He was glad that it had been caught, but a bit of concern for his wellbeing would have been nice about now, he thought irritably. He had a headache sharp enough to blur his vision coming on. "I see you got my message," he said with less than his usual amount of respect.

His father glared at him. "What the hell were you doing? Did you have a death wish? You should have hid. Have you forgotten how valuable you are?"

It stung to be referred to as if he was an object, but it had happened enough for him to brush it aside. "I was thinking about the safety of the students," he ground out. Seeing spots was bad, right? He shook his head slightly, not liking how that made the world spin at all.

"They don't matter," the head of the Hosui said coolly. "Your ability is one in a million. You can't go using it carelessly."

"My _ability_ is all you ever seem to care about." Aya knew he shouldn't be saying this. He should be the same meek, obedient son that was expected of him, but he couldn't seem to stop the words. "I don't think you have ever cared about me for me. It's just what I can do that matters."

A hand slapped across his face and the world really spun. Aya was on the ground again without knowing how he had got there. "You are the Hosui heir," his father spat with barely restrained rage. "You are to behave suitable for your role. Your role is not to think, or even to feel. Person emotions don't matter. You are to see through your duty. That is what you were born for. As you do your duty, so I will do mine. Don't you _dare_ accuse me when you cannot even comprehend what I sacrificed to gain this position for our family."

Face stinging, Aya looked away. He was still absurdly angry. Why? It wasn't anything he didn't already know. As the colors around him blurred yet again, he was dimly aware of being half dragged, half carried from the roof. When the world finally refocused, he was in his room. He knew without moving that the door would be locked.

* * *

_AN: Ok, real quick! I'm not going to be posting anything all November due to NaNoWriMo. I appologize for this, but I really will not have ANY TIME AT ALL for fanfics when I start another novel for it. In fact, I think I'm crazy for trying this at all, but hey, crazy's all in how you look at it. Anyway, I hope to continue it after November has passed. Please R&R. I would love to hear your opinions on Aya or Yen's characters, and any omprovements that could be made. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**CH 5: **_AN: I'm not entirely sure what to use for maga names as I don't know Japanese and I'm not entirely sure what she is basing maga off of, but for now, bear with me as I use some mythological creatures as I am not original enough to come up with something else. If you can, take the time to review to let me know how I'm doing, what you might want to see, or things you think are off. Thanks!_

* * *

There were whispers. Now that he knew what to look for, he could hear them. Doubting, watching, waiting for him or his father to slip up. It was disconcerting to think that such distrust could spring up so quickly. He couldn't think of why they would even think such things. Had his family ever given them a reason to doubt? But they were, and it frankly scared him to realize that the Ragun's position in the gakushi world was so unstable.

"Why can't we find where they're coming from?" Yen muttered as he spotted yet another maga in the distance. He had been patrolling every other evening for over two weeks, but they kept coming. In truth he was hardly bothering to do more than catalogue the type and direction it was heading because he was too exhausted to do much of anything about it. The only reason he could think of for why they had yet to be told anything was that someone was either misinforming, or they were withholding information purposely, wanting to trip the rest of the gakushi world up before striding in to claim it as their own.

Either possibility was cause for worry. He tracked the maga, debating whether or not he could catch it. If it started to meander, he could catch up, but at the moment he was too far away.

"Yen."

He turned calmly as his father appeared at his side. He was never surprised anymore. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Yes?"

"There is a maga approaching from the north. Jin is currently dealing with one on the western edge of our territory. Would you be able to take care of it?"

"Of course." He met his father's serious gaze for the briefest of moments before looking away. "There's another maga headed Jin's way. Can he handle them both?"

"Likely, yes. He is fighting a lower level one at the moment."

"I see." Yen tightened his mask and pulled his gloves on a bit more tightly. "Koga and I will handle the one in the north then."

"Thank you." His father nodded, then paused. "Be careful. It's stronger than most of the maga that have passed through lately. There was an odd energy pattern coming from near the north east. I will be there."

Yen frowned. It wasn't like his father to tell him his own actions. He could almost think that he was nervous. "Understood. I will see you later."

Koga ran alongside him as he ran. While Yen knew that he would always prefer searching the records and reading up on maga, the feeling of stretching his muscles was exhilarating. The rush of endorphins it brought made him feel invincible, and for a brief moment he could almost understand Jin's overconfident nature. If this was how he usually felt, it was no wonder he rushed into situations without looking. Thankfully they didn't have too far to run. Yen was in decent shape, but he wasn't anywhere near as physically fit as his brother.

"There," he said, his voice colored with a slight pant. He could see instantly why his father had sounded worried. It was an ancient maga, one that was usually peaceful, guarding a temple or a site with power. What it was doing disconnected from its domain was beyond him, but it didn't seem too happy. He studied it, looking for what it might be. Its name was likely linked to where it was from or what it was supposed to guard. If he could figure it out, he should be able to send it back to where it was supposed to be. If he had doubted that someone was purposely setting maga loose, seeing this one would have cured him of it. It couldn't have gotten there on its own. They didn't leave their land. Ever.

_Ko, re, me, so, ru, ne, do…_ The possibilities went on. Koga relayed them as quickly as they came, but the right one wasn't there yet. What was it? _Shi, no, ku…._ It was a place. It had to be a place. Not a river spirit. A forest guardian maybe? It was too young to be a mountain spirit… but maybe… "Yobuko!" he called. His first guess was a bit off. It was _tied_ to a place, normally, but it wasn't a place guardian, merely a dwelling spirit. But it was a surprisingly powerful one for a mountain spirit. Usually they were peaceful and mischievous, sending back echoes. It certainly shouldn't be all the way in a city.

The creature, as its name was called out, froze. There was something ominous as it turned to face him in a slow arc. It was so big… Yen swallowed. He should be in Yuusei since he had figured out its name first, but… But the amount of power it was giving off it was questionable as to how much good that would do.

He gripped his gakuki as the maga surged forward, oddly shaped wings reaching out to capture him. The feathers were all shaped like hands, and the maga's face shimmered before becoming Yen's own.

Not good, Yen thought, backpedaling. Focusing his energy through his gakuki and Koga, he lashed out, seals wrapping around the eerie copy of his face. The Yobuko hissed before laughing. Suddenly the wings were melting and he was looking at a mirror image.

"You can't win," the maga said in his voice. "Gakushi of the Ragun family, your time is up."

"Fat chance," Yen muttered. What did he know about the maga? It was supposed to be harmless, an echo, nothing more. It was a friendly maga that watched over travelers, although its true form wasn't very clear. There were several conflicting descriptions that he had read. "Why are you here?" He wasn't Jin. Fighting wasn't his specialty. Negotiating was his forte. Of course if the maga refused to negotiate it made things a bit harder.

"You don't know?" There was mocking laughter, and the maga shifted behind him, seeming to warp and melt before it again reformed in his image. "Poor Ragun. You think you're so important… So interesting that soon you'll be learning the truth." A grin that he had never seen on his own face grew insanely on Yobuko's face.

Riddles, riddles which would have to be thought out later. Someone had to be controlling it. It was too strange for a peaceful mountain maga to leave its home and turn aggressive. Yen's eyes narrowed. He _would_ get to the bottom of this. But first he had to return the Yobuko to its original form.

It was a lot easier to say than to do. Right. He dove to the right as it shifted again, oozing toward him. It didn't seem to be able to hold form while in motion, but then, it wasn't exactly in the legends that it could change form either. Yobuko were maga that created echoes and were rarely seen. At their most mischievous, they might confuse travelers.

There was a chance he was wrong. Maybe it wasn't a Yobuko…but it had responded to the name. It was too big to be a Noppera-bō, and it wasn't a badger anyway. Only badger spirits became the faceless ghosts, and those too were only tricksters. It was becoming very tempting to go against his good upbringing and swear, Yen thought irritably.

"Koga!" he called, reaching out to his maga partner. Jin synced with Sora to attack, and he also had special abilities he could use with Koga. Normally he didn't have a reason to use them.

Strips of cloth shot forward, wrapping around the disturbing figure as it tried to dissolve away again in a different direction. Where it touched, the human form melted into the strange hand feathers. One gold eye and one which matched his own stared at him accusingly as the maga was caught like a fly in a spider web between the bands of cloth.

"Why are you here?" Yen demanded. There should be a presence, something to let him know where the person controlling it was. There was _always_ something. But for once he couldn't feel it.

There seemed to be a snarl on the partially obscured face, but it was hard to tell. "It's the end, Ragun!" it shrieked. "No more! The clans have been in your shadow too long! They seek freedom!" The expression on its face went beyond simple anger and hatred. Underneath were far more disturbing emotions. Fear and insanity were lurking there.

When he saw its eyes roll madly, Yen realized something. It wasn't being controlled. Clearly it wasn't in its right mind, but what was going on seemed to be beyond control to downright mental torture if the foaming at the mouth raving was being interpreted correctly. The maga kept yelling its head off about the end of the Ragun's. No, it was here as a messenger, he realized. Yen shuddered. Whoever did this to it was sick, turning a peaceful mountain spirit into a bloodthirsty, obsessed puppet.

"Koga…?" Yen wasn't really sure if he could do anything for it. He could purify, exorcise, or negotiate, but he didn't have the first clue how a person would go about reversing brainwashing, or whatever else had been done to it. His maga partner looked up at him solemnly. It looked like he didn't know either.

"If we sedate him somehow we could probably take him to Doctor Bara for help." Koga gave him a doubtful look. Yen winced. "True, it was hard enough just to get him tied up. If we altered the type of binding…" He communicated with his partner for a moment. "Exactly. Then we just make sure it doesn't slip. Dad or Jin will be done in a bit and could help." His dad had always been on the side of doing the least harm to a maga as possible and finding a peaceful option if one could. Surely he would understand…

Drawing on a book he had read almost a year ago, he visualized what he would need to do. Sedating a maga worked a bit different than with humans or animals. Maga were mostly energy, so energy was the only thing that worked to knock one out for a long period of time. He just had to concentrate… Yen felt Koga guide him as energy flowed from his gakuki and wrapped the maga further in its tangible form. The loss of so much energy made Yen's knees go weak for a second, but he ignored it. It wasn't like he hadn't faced worse than that before.

The Yobuko was slumped forward, now thoroughly cocooned in his power. All in all, it was a bit like sealing a maga away in an object only without the object to act as a focus. "Thanks Koga," Yen said, turning to glance to the east. Now that the maga he had been fighting was no longer radiating its strange power, he could sense whatever it was that his father had gone to face. It felt…wrong. The same kind of wrong the Yobuko did, only slightly…different. Bothered the heck out of him that he couldn't place it.

How long would it take for Jin or his father to finish? Yen had taken longer than he usually would to negotiate due to the problems of his target refusing to play along, but then again he wasn't a fighter. Jin was the type that when he paid attention he could fight fast and well. His father was more one for strategy, but he had the force to back his brain up. Unease prickled along his spine.

"Maybe we should head back home on our own," Yen suggested, wondering how he would manage to carry the Yobuko the whole way. Well, he would think of something.

Unnaturally smooth cloth met his touch as he heaved the burden of the unconscious maga onto his shoulder. Barely two steps later, he nearly dumped it down the stairs as there was an explosion of energy behind him. Yen's head whipped around to stare east, holding his breath. He hadn't recognized it, the energy source. What the heck could have…

"Yen-nii!" Jin yelled, running from the direction he had been fighting. "There's…" He stopped, panting, Sora looking just as tired.

"What?" Yen snapped, the sense of wrong skyrocketing. Something was seriously wrong.

"Maga! Home! I was heading back and they just… I don't know where they came from. I got rid of the first wave and got Mom out, but there are too many! Where's Dad?" Jin regained enough of his breath to stand straight and look around anxiously.

Yen dropped the maga. It hit hard and rolled down a few nearby stairs but fortunately stayed unconscious. This was a day full of swear worthy moments, wasn't it? "Mom's ok?" he asked sharply.

"Yeah, she and her weirdo editor ran off. I think they might have been heading to Branch's house." He frowned. "Yen-nii?"

No, no, no, no, no, no…. "They might not be safe there," he bit out. If he was correct… He looked at the maga that had rolled down the stairs. A messenger was it? A bit more than that it seemed. It was a herald. This was no warning, it was merely acknowledging the powerlessness of his family and announcing an all out war.

"Yen-nii?" Jin asked again, looking truly scared. "What should we do? Where's Dad?"

"Dad's still fighting." And he shouldn't be. He was better than anyone in the clan at fighting or negotiating with maga. "It'll be up to us to stop the maga attacking our home."

He barely took notice of his little brother's pale face as he raced down the stairs two at a time, leaving the maga where it had fallen. There was time for clean up later hopefully. Saving his home and family was a bit more important than an insane maga at the moment. Yen stopped at the bottom of the stairs, Koga floating to join him. "Jin!" he called to snap him out of whatever horror he was caught in. "Are you going to let them encroach on our territory?"

"No!" He shook his head and ran to meet his brother. "Can…can we do this?" he whispered as he became level with him. "Without Dad…"

"Don't doubt," Yen advised. "We can't afford to." The grim reality was clear in his mind. He just hoped his brother understood the severity of the situation.

Hesitantly, Jin nodded, then they were running again. Yen was hard pressed to keep Jin's pace, even if the younger boy had been running a lot longer than he had. Sometimes it was disadvantageous to not be athletic.

It felt like it took forever, running to their home. For ages there was nothing but blood pounding in his ears, the gasps of his breath, and the steady jarring of his footsteps, but inside Yen's mind was racing. He was the Ragun heir. He had to do something. Their home couldn't be lost. He couldn't let the clan be destroyed of his mother hurt or… Please, please be ok, he thought desperately toward his father. For all his words to Jin, he was feeling very lost at the moment. For once in his life it wasn't guaranteed that his father could step in if there was danger. If they were in over their heads, no one was going to save them.

Even if he couldn't see anything as they drew closer to the familiar buildings, there was a heavy malevolent presence. How did he miss this? He should have sensed all of them. They shouldn't have even gotten past the border let alone…

Yen dove around a corner as the maga came into view, swarming in front of his family home. They all moved single mindedly, ignoring the other houses around them. At least he wouldn't have to worry about them attacking any other people.

Jin stopped near the door, staring. "There's so many…"

Yen nodded, catching his breath. Where to start? There were _too_ many. He had never seen so many maga in one place, of such variety, and of such different power levels. Taking a breath and straightening his shoulders, he stepped forward, sealing the area off from the possible passerby. Duty done to the public, he reached out to the nearest maga to negotiate. Behind him, Jin still hovered on panic. "Jin," Yen said calmly. He raised his gakuki and glanced over his shoulder. "Let's negotiate." He gave his brother his most encouraging smile. Like always it worked to inspire his younger sibling, but for the first time he had used it, Yen wasn't confident.

Jin smiled back, not quite his overconfident smirk, but recognition of the attempt at comfort it was, and stepped forward to join him.

Maga reacted instantly. Information was flowing almost faster than either he or Koga could comprehend. He snapped off names as fast as they appeared to him, disabling the weaker maga and stalling what stronger ones he could while Jin weakened them further. Even as fast as he worked, Yen found himself backed into his own barrier in a matter of minutes.

As a large feline looking maga screeched at him before slamming a paw forward. Yen saw it near Jin's head and tackled his brother. They slammed into the entry wall, claws whistling over their heads. He shouted the feline maga's name before it could attack again and wrapped it up like he had the Yobuko what felt like ages before. Too many. There were still too many. Where were they all coming from? How had they all gotten there?

Jin ducked away from him to lead Sora on another attack, taking out two maga with the force. It was half brawl, half negotiation as they struggled to not be crushed under the sheer number of their opponents. Thankfully none seemed to have the insanity that the Yobuko had shown. They were just very angry, very confused maga who were being compelled to attack. This was something they had dealt with before. Just not in such numbers.

Find the controller…Yen thought. That was the key. If he found the source, most of the maga would return to their normal state, but… There were too many signals. The maga overlapped and filled his senses while Koga continually fed him new information about attacks and names, and he couldn't tell if there was a human being around besides Jin from all of it. He seriously doubted that even if he concentrated and narrowed his focus he would be able to tell.

A monstrosity of a maga broke through the wall beside him, rubble opening a gash on his arm from where he blocked. _Jin!_ Yen's eyes went wide as it barreled into his little brother, sending him into the barrier that Yen had made. "No!" he gasped, gakuki gripped to the point of pain. Sora fluttered around his master as the maga lifted him off the ground like a rag doll. Desperately, Yen tried to attack. No, no, not Jin. He couldn't let him get hurt! He was the older one, the one who was supposed to be responsible and protect his little brother from harm.

The maga looked at him almost like he was an ant trying to climb up its leg. Heck, it probably was a good comparison for all the damage he was able to do. He couldn't… There had to be some way… Its name wasn't appearing, why wasn't it appearing? Attack after attack left it unfazed. There was blood on Jin's face from a cut on his forehead. No.

For some reason the other maga weren't attacking, but Yen hardly noticed, his gaze riveted on the giant maga before him. No. No. What was all his training for if he couldn't defeat one maga? What good would he be as a leader if he couldn't help his little brother? Why had he suicidally led them into this situation? Self hatred and fear coursed through him as he threw every attack he could imagine at it and then some. If he hadn't already spent so much energy… But no. He wasn't an attack type. He was perception. And perception didn't cut it in this situation.

The maga ignored the attempts against it, studying its captive. In the time it took to reduce Yen to near tears of frustration, it had grown bored of the gakushi in its grasp and the tiny maga that accompanied it. It tossed them aside without a thought and turned to the annoying ant trying to sting him. To it, humans were an amusement, nothing more. It caught Yen's arm before he could run to his brother and watched him struggle, shouting in a language it didn't understand. Funny. Such an insignificant creature. Just like the ones who let it out…

"Jin!" Yen yelled, trying to twist out of the iron grip on his arm. It hurt like crazy, and not just from its strength. The touch was cold like ice. "Koga! Check Jin! Please! Please let him be all right…" His voice broke shakily on the last few words. His fault. His fault for getting them into this mess. They might die and he'd never know what happened to his dad or if his mom was alright at the branch family house. He still hadn't gotten to talk openly to Aya. And Jin…Jin was learning. He was getting better and more levelheaded. He would be a great gakushi in a few years. But what could he do? Nothing.

The gakuki fell from his grasp as he gave in to the force pulling on him. The maga's gaze on him wasn't malicious, but somehow it was worse than if it had been cruel. It was curious and amused and haughty, as if it knew how much stronger it was and reveled in its power. Yen hoped he'd give it indigestion if it tried eating him.

It felt like being frozen alive, being pulled that close to it. Icy breath, icy touch, icy and uncaring gaze… Yen wanted to fight, but at the same time he knew it wouldn't do any good. With his gakuki more than ten feet away, Koga even further with Jin and Sora, and the too strong grip on his arm, he knew he wouldn't be able to make it.

"This isn't going to do you any good," he said to the maga wearily as it sniffed him. "I'm sure I'm not very tasty, and I can't believe that there would actually be anything you would want from my home." Well, that wasn't completely true. There were likely a few odds or ends with enough magic in them to attract maga like this one, but considering the lack of comprehension or any form of recognizable speech from it, he had a feeling that it wasn't the sort of maga that interacted with humans much. In all likelihood it, much like the Yobuko, was probably a displaced maga, far from its natural habitat and was trying to comprehend the world it had ended up in.

A blue tongue slipped out from among sharp fangs, flicking across his exposed forearm where his shirt had ripped from the attack. Yen screamed as pain radiated from the spot. Looking at it, the spot was a purplish blue, like he had the beginnings of frostbite. Forget being eaten, he could be killed just by accident! It took all his willpower to remain as still and uninteresting as possible. If it lost interest…

He whimpered as it licked him again. For Jin, he could do it for Jin and his family and…God it hurt. He shut his eyes so he wouldn't tense up when he knew pain was coming. Another wave of cold went through him as it breathed his scent a final time, then he was airborne, falling into a sea of maga that clawed, bit and squirmed as he tried to regain his footing and press toward Jin.

"Move!" he gasped. His arm was throbbing, and he couldn't feel his left knee properly. Blood was in his eyes from something, he wasn't sure what. Where was Jin? Where were Koga? And Sora? He moved blindly toward where he had last seen them.

The air stilled suddenly, and the giant maga from before suddenly hissed and doubled over in pain. Yen's eyes widened, wondering what new horror could possibly come out of this. What _more_ could be thrown at them? What new ancient monster would he have to combat? The giant maga vanished and a sudden sweep of flames destroyed what little was left of his initial barrier. He felt its loss as the spirits he had suppressed surged forth only to be beaten back by new, unidentified maga. Gakushi stood at their side.

For a moment, hope filled him. It had to be his dad, back with reinforcements…but the expressions were cold, not angry like one would expect at retaking territory one already owned. Yen knew, as he finally reached Jin's side, that the people around them weren't on his side.

But who they were could wait. He turned Jin over, looking for broken bones. There were nasty bruises already forming, and a bruised/burned handprint on one wrist that matched the one on Yen's own arm. The giant maga had done more harm than the other maga combined.

Jin groaned as Yen checked him over. He looked at his eyes. No concussion… And it didn't look like he'd broken anything either, although perhaps a sprain in his wrist and a few bruised bones from the rough treatment. "What happened?" Jin asked weakly, as Yen held him close.

"Someone is fighting off the maga," Yen said, trying to keep his voice soothing even as it threatened to break from relief and fear. "We're okay for now. Sora's fine."

"Are you okay?" his little brother asked, struggling to focus his eyes.

Actually, Yen hadn't catalogued his own injuries yet. Well, if he hadn't collapsed yet… "I'm fine," he said smiling. "I'll be fine."

"Liar." Jin closed his eyes, too tired to fight. He let Yen cradle him against the relative safety of the wall as the maga were run out by the strange gakushi. It seemed to go on for a long time, huddling and trying not to pass out from injuries or exhaustion. Yen felt like he had failed too much in one day, and heck if he was going to fail to protect Jin from the newest potential threat.

A gakushi landed in front of them, maga at his side. Sora looked like he would attack, but after all the fighting earlier, he wasn't in any better shape than his partner. Wearily, Yen looked up, pieces clicking into place as he saw who it was.

"You," he rasped in disbelief. "But why…?"

The gakushi smirked, pulling an unconscious figure off his maga's back. "Pity," Aya's father said calmly, smoothing the Hosui family crest on his arm. "I was on my way to talk and found him unconscious. As I am related by marriage, and you're…underage, I don't think anyone would mind me taking over as…temporary head of the Ragun household."

Yen stared at his father's body in horror and rage. He was obviously injured, and should be in a hospital, not dragged around on a maga. "You…you…" Words failed to express the blind rage Yen felt as he launched himself at his uncle, teeth bared in a snarl. It was well past crossing the line. Yen was a thinker, a planner. Ordinarily rage wasn't something he gave in to, but there was only so far he could be pushed. And the head of the Hosui household had found the exact buttons to press.

He was deflected easily, batted aside casually by his uncle's gakuki. Yen grunted as he hit the ground hard on his injured knee. The man knelt next to him, triumph clear on his face. "Poor, poor Ragun. Lucky I was in time to save you, or you might not be here."

"You won't be able to get away with this," Yen said angrily. "We have allies. Taking out the main family won't do any good. You can't make the branch families follow you."

His uncle gripped his shoulder leaning close. "Ah, but I'm just a helpful family member coming in time of need. And if that doesn't work…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "There are always other methods to get obedience. You…care for your little brother don't you Yen."

Yen paled. He wasn't actually suggesting…

There was a low chuckle. "I'll be needing your help, Yen. After all, you are the Ragun heir. I'll be…assisting you in your duties while the current head is…indisposed." Hosui smiled toothily as he moved back. "I take it this won't be an issue."

Yen would give anything to rip the man's throat out then and there, Aya's father or not, but he knew he was cornered. Play along, and wait for him to slip up, that was the best plan at the moment. Besides, he was in no condition to fight, and Jin needed medical help as much as his father did. "Fine," he spat. "If you hurt them, I won't cooperate, though. You're warned." And maybe if he cooperated he could find out how they had managed to get so many maga—not to mention old, secluded maga—into the compound. His eyes narrowed. No way was the man getting off unscathed.

"Good." Hosui looked so sure of himself. Yen hated him all the more for it. "It's about time the lesser clans got some respect. You and my son are all the tools I'll need."

Chills and revulsion filled him as he watched his uncle lift Jin from the ground, presumably to get medical attention. What was he planning? And where was Aya in all of this? Well, he wouldn't be complacent or tractable for long. His uncle didn't know who he was messing with. No one messed with a Ragun and got away with it. Yen's eyes narrowed as he started to plan. His uncle was going to regret his rebellion.

* * *

_AN: Gaah! This took longer to write than I had planned, and I apologize. I have finals right now. I hope that it isn't too OOC, and that it is taking an interesting development. If anyone has suggestions, please comment! Thanks! :) Oh, and for anonymous reviewers, yes I am continuing the story. I just had NaNo, and now finals, which take up a large portion of my time. I do have life outside the web, hard as it might be to imagine. ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch 6**: _AN: Read book seven, which I got for Christmas. It reminded me why I both love and am incredibly frustrated with this series. Don't shut Aya out Yen! And what's with all the cryptic comments? One left me wondering if Aya was even human or if he came from another world… ^^; Oh, and turns out it's "kamidori" not "kamadori". Now I know. Sorry for taking so long. Fan fiction isn't flowing right now. I have the plot planned out to the end though, so hopefully it will go smoother._

Aya watched the heart monitor in the hospital blindly, seething with rage underneath his composed exterior. His aunt was asleep a few feet away, head resting on the side of her husband's hospital bed. Uncle Hideaki wasn't going to wake up for a long time. The doctors had proclaimed him as having a concussion and he was currently in a coma with no sign of waking up. Jin was currently heavily sedated a bed away, his wounds bad enough that the hospital staff didn't want him awake. He was being treated for broken bones, a minor concussion, contusions, and severe frostbite.

And Yen… Yen was also being treated for frostbite, and was sitting at the last bed. "I didn't know," he said finally, still staring at the heart monitor that was attached to Jin, beeping in contrast to his uncle's. "I've been locked in my room for the last three days for back talking. I didn't know until my father walked in and told me we were going to be living at your house and to pack up my things."

Yen continued to stare a hole in the wall as he had ever since he had gotten there.

Aya sighed, wishing he could get through to him. It had been hard enough to visit. His father was watching his moves, but he had been allowed to visit, at least for appearance's sake. "Yen."

"I know it's not your fault. You wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop this anyway," Yen said suddenly, voice cold. Aya flinched, reminded of the carta tournament a few years ago and the icy persona Yen had worn in public. It was his school and business voice. He had promised not to direct it at him again, but here he was, pushing him away again. "It's my problem anyway. It's my family in the hospital and my home that was attacked. So I'll be the one to do something about it."

"Stop." It hurt to hear that dismissal. "Stop. I'm family too. I have as much responsibility. Maybe more." He thought of his father, feeling actual hate for once. He'd never liked him much, but this was crossing the line. Attacking other gakushi? Was he insane? "I might not be able to do much, but I can help."

Yen twisted his head sharply in his direction. "No." He glared angrily. "All you can do is refuse to let him capture any more maga. He had to have been using scrolls. How else could he have gotten so many maga past the barrier without destroying it?"

"Scrolls?" No… They wouldn't… All the maga he had helped ensnare when they caused problems. Would they use them? Yes, he finally thought. If it would change his family's standing, they would do it. "All the more reason to help," he said, feeling his own scowl grow.

"I said no!" Yen hissed. "I'll do it myself. Or with the help of the branch families. It's our problem and cousin or not, you're still his son!" He stopped, panting, then looked away.

They were both very silent for a moment. "So is that how it's going to be."

"Aya…" Yen sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Right." It is his turn to sound cold. It has always hurt to be left out and pushed away. Wasn't it enough that he wasn't complete? That he could never be a true gakushi like he was born to be? Being pushed away by Yen always brought up all the old insecurities that he held.

"Aya, Dad almost died! Jin is…is… And I still don't know about the rest of the clan! You can't—" He cut off, pain on his face as his hand clenched against his chest. Aya could see his trouble to breathe and in an instant he had crossed the distance, shoving a cup of water into his hands and force feeding him the pill that had been left there hours earlier by his mother.

"You're slipping," Aya whispered. It had been a while since Yen had had any attacks to his knowledge. He waited until Yen was able to take shaky, gasping breaths and his body started to relax. "I always wondered what caused them, then it came to me. They always happened when you pushed too far, and you're pushing too hard now. You feel responsible and guilty and you're exhausted, but you're going to keep pushing because you're Yen Ragun. You have a duty as the heir and you'll keep having attacks as long as you think that way." He brushed dark hair out of his cousin's eyes which stared up at him looking pained. "It's okay to be Yen, not just a Ragun, but a person." He kissed his forehead, and for a moment the moment felt warm and private and as if nothing had ever happened to make the emotions between them strained.

"I'm sorry," Yen muttered, body relaxing as he reached out to hold him close for a second. "I don't want anyone else hurt," he admitted finally.

"I'm not in as much danger as you, really. After all, he needs me for maga and for appearances." There was almost no bitterness in his voice. It was something he had known for years.

"Just…be careful." Yen pressed his face close then pulled away looking embarrassed. "Listen, I should probably tell you…in case anything happens…"

A sharp knock on the door cut off his fumbling words, and Aya frowned. Carefully, he moved back to the chair he had been in leaving Yen looking mildly confused.

"Ayato. It's time to go." The door opened and a pale, mildly attractive woman stood in the doorway surveying the scene. Her eyes paused on her older sister where she was waking up by her husband's side.

"You." The sound was sleepy, but rapidly chilling as the speaker woke up. "You." Aya's aunt stood awkwardly, anger making her pale, exhausted visage flush strangely.

Aya glanced uneasily between her and his mother. Yen watched on from his hospital bed unsurprised and impassive.

"Akane." His mother sounded uncaring, and if he didn't know better, he'd think that was true. But he did know better, and he knew that while things had never been the same between them after his mother married, she still cared. It was just that she had given up trying.

He watched numbly as his aunt crossed the room and slapped his mother hard. "How could you let this happen? Are you that disconnected from the world? And your son..!" Aya blinked. What about him? So his mother was more caught up in her research than she used to be…and she was no longer able to protect him from his father. There wasn't any surprise there. His father was driven.

"I'm doing what I can to fix things!" his mother snapped back, surprisingly reacting to the comment.

"By only paying attention to your studies?" Yen's mother looked as scornful and angry as he had ever seen her…which actually wasn't that much if what he saw now meant anything. Her anger over her deadlines had been livelier and somehow gentler at the same time. This was focused and held something deeper. Aya held his breath and tried to avoid notice. "That only made things worse."

"What would you have me do? Sit and watch helplessly? We aren't gakushi! We can't take part in their world, so I had to look on my own rather than act!"

"And look what has come out of it! You should have done something the moment you knew the truth!"

"I did! Why do you think I sent him to you?" Aya stared as his mother stood panting, red-faced with a bruise already forming on one cheekbone. He glanced at Yen whose eyes narrowed slightly. She straightened, calming. "It's too late anyway. Too many factors have come into play."

The two sisters stared each other down before Akane looked away. "Try to keep your _husband_ away from mine," she muttered, moving back toward Hideaki's bed. "And my kids too."

"No promises," Aya heard his mother mutter before she straightened, bringing herself back into the appearance of control and distance. For the first time Aya wondered if it was actually genuine. "Ayato, your father wants to meet with you."

Across the room a derisive snort sounded, which was easily ignored. Aya let his eyes wander to Yen, who still looked thoughtful. He wished he could stay with him. He really didn't want to face his father at the moment. Since he had to, he supposed he would have to keep an ear out for anything that might be of use.

"I guess I'll be back later," he said, directing the comment at Yen, even though he was staring at his mother hard enough to show that he wouldn't back down if someone tried to stop him from returning. She shrugged and left ahead of him, leaving him to look one more time at his cousin. Yen looked tired and pained, but that was easily attributed to the injuries he had. There was a similar determination and challenge in his eyes, however, to the look Aya had just given his mother. The message was easy to understand. He wouldn't just idly bide his time in the hospital. As soon as he was able, he would take action.

"Be careful Yen," Aya muttered before turning his back on the room.

His mother stopped him a few feet down the hall, hand going out to touch his shoulder with surprising pressure. A part of his brain informed him that this was the first time his mother had touched him in over a month. The realization did nothing to make him feel better about his familial situation.

"Ayato."

"Mother?" His voice wavered slightly. Was there a reason for…?

"There's more going on than appears. If I could I would take you as far away from this as I could but…well, I've never had as much control over things as I thought. Whatever you do, don't…" She clamped her mouth shut suddenly as if unable to speak, creases forming between her brows in frustration. "Trust no one," she ground out finally as if every word cost far more than the breath of air it should.

The hand slid off him, fluid even as it twitched as if wanting to hold on. "Mother?" he repeated feeling lost. Why couldn't anyone _talk_ to him? Half-veiled warnings and unspoken emotions weren't enough!

"Your father's waiting," the woman said tiredly. Had she always been so…frail? How long had she been in her books, not leaving to see the sun or for anything much more than the basic necessities?

Aya trailed after her with soft footsteps. What had actually happened back then, when his parents stopped talking outside of necessity? They had argued. He had thought it was because of the maid and his father's…affair with her. Was he wrong in his assumption? Or had there been something deeper in the fights? After all, he had been sent to the Ragun's not long after that.

He cut off his thoughts as he was led to a private waiting room. It figured his father would use public resources for private tasks. "You called, Father?" he asked, voice monotone.

Typically, the man didn't bother to look up from whatever was occupying his time. "Ayato, I have a mission for you."

"Yes, Father?" It always helped to at least appear interested in what the man was saying.

"I want you to lend your aid to a few associates."

Aya frowned. Up until this point he had never worked with anyone outside his clan. Actually, he had rarely worked with gakushi other than his father. "Father?" he queried. His voice came out more hesitant than it usually would. At the same time, he was thinking frantically. Was there a way he could get out of helping? He could refuse, but at what consequence?

He received an impatient sigh in return. Hosui turned around, setting his scroll down in a sharp motion. "Do you have a problem representing our clan to the rest of the gakushi world?" he asked, drawing out the words.

Aya shivered. The look in his father's eyes was the same one he used for reprimanding him or before a disagreement took a violent turn. "That…is not my objection, no."

"Then there is another problem? Keep in mind you will be representing the Ragun as well as the Hosui for the time being." Predatory stillness accompanied his icy gaze. The words, at odds with his body, remained calm.

"But couldn't Yen—"

"Yen," his father snapped, cutting him off, "is currently injured and has faced a terrible situation. I would not be surprised if he suffered some form of mental trauma as well as his physical injuries. He and his family require sufficient rest to recover." He calmed himself and returned to his threatening displeasure. "You should have no problems continuing your usual duties among another clan as my representative, should you?"

In his mind, Aya played back memories of what had happened for minor disobedience and weighed it with the magnitude of what disobeying now would be. He swallowed. "No problems," he choked, feeling sick. Yen would be disappointed. But…but…Yen didn't know how terrifying his father could be.

"Good." Triumph glimmered in the other man's eyes for a moment before being replaced by disinterest. "Send in your mother, I need her as well." He paused as he thought of something. "Oh. And you will find a meeting place listed on a note I left in your new room at the Ragun house."

Aya nodded, feeling numb inside, and closed the door behind him. his mother stood outside looking a mixture of angry and resigned. "He wants to see you," he informed her. She looked at him sharply, and he knew he must have sounded off, but he didn't care. He was so _weak_ compared to Yen.

When his mother entered the room, he debated going back to visit Yen again, to stupidly ask for forgiveness for his inability to rebel…but that was too pitiful. Were he to face Yen, all he would feel was shame. He looked at his familiar, slim fingers. Soft. Coddled, made to appear perfect and upper class and someone who had never had to lift a finger for anything. They were so very different from the landscape of his soul, filled with pock-marks and pitfalls, little furrows and lumps from where his mind had been stretched, prodded and torn from years of working with maga. He had done it as his duty to the man who was his father, and now he was expected to kill himself by inches for total strangers. And he would do it.

He moved forward, not knowing or caring where he was going. He could walk into a busy street and not care at this point. One foot in front of the other as he wandered aimlessly through the twisting hospital halls. Someone was singing, a female voice, soft and strong, contradictory in a way and out of place in such a grim place as a hospital. Aya stopped and listened, letting the words roll over him. it was a children's song, he realized. One he had heard others sing, but had never dared sing himself. The notes made his stomach flip in a funny way with mixed regret and nostalgia for his early childhood where his mother laughed and his father still sometimes smiled at him.

Tension drained from him as he let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He sought out the door where the singing sprung from. The door was slightly ajar, a very faded looking sign on it, personalized with a few stickers and cheerily drawn animals unlike the rest of the plaques on the doors. Kirishima… Where had he heard that before?

Ah. Yen's friend, the one who couldn't go to school due to her illness. She was a year or so older than them, if he remembered correctly. Aya hesitated a moment, staring longingly at the door. Should he go in? It wasn't like he knew her…

The decision was taken out of his hands as a small black muzzle of a maga poked around the door. "Is someone there?" the soft voice of the singer, Kirishima, asked.

"Hello?" Aya murmured timidly, revealing himself but going no further than the doorway. She wasn't what he was expecting. Her hair was reddish, reaching down to her shoulders and no further. She had a self-conscious smile on her face, eyes watching him intently. Light blue pajama bottoms covered her legs as she had them drawn up to her chest where she sat on her bed. Her top seemed to be from a different pair of pajamas, as it was purple with blue puppies printed on it. Aya blinked, trying to fit this image with what Yen had told him about her.

Come to think of it, Yen used to visit her a lot. It was strange that their paths had never crossed.

"Oh!" She smiled at him, the hands she had wrapped around her knees detangling as she clapped her palms together. "I've seen your face before! You know Yen-kun!"

She…knew him? "I…don't think we've met."

"We haven't. I saw you in a picture Yen-kun showed me once. You're his cousin, right?" Her face scrunched up. "Aya-Ayo? No…"

"Hosui Ayato," Aya supplied. He stepped into the room as the dog-like maga gave him a push. "Please excuse the intrusion."

"Oh, I don't mind! Please excuse my singing." She laughed. "That was how I met Yen-kun. He heard me singing and came to see who it was. How is he? I haven't seen him in a while. He's been so busy with his family duties…" Kirishima rested her chin on her legs, wrapping an arm around her maga as it cuddled into her side.

"Er…" He sighed. "Actually, I'm currently here because Yen-kun is in the hospital. He, his father, and Jin-kun all were recently injured in a maga attack."

Kirishima's eyes grew wide, and she clutched the dog maga closer. "I thought most maga were peaceful, like Tom." She pet the small maga's head gently. "Yen-kun never told me much about his job, just that he worked to mediate between maga and humans."

"Um, not all maga are," Aya admitted, wishing Yen had told her a bit more just to make this situation a bit less awkward. "And I don't think the maga are to blame," he murmured scowling.

"They have enemies. Yen-kun told me." Kirishima shifted, her face tense with worry. "I wish I could visit him…"

"Do you want me to pass on a message?" He…really didn't want to, but Yen was her friend and she cared for him much like he cared for Yen. He could at least offer.

"No… I would probably only distract him." She smiled ruefully. "I could help him if I could leave. I've been working with Tom and we've studied a lot on maga whenever Yen lent us a book…"

"You're studying to be a gakushi?" He shouldn't be so surprised. It happened sometimes, someone outside of a gakushi family gaining powers, and there was more than one way to be one. Research was just as important as negotiating oftentimes. He couldn't help but feel a bit jealous though. She had been born without a maga partner or powers, but had been given both. Why didn't he have a partner?

Kirishima frowned. "Not exactly. Only as much as Yen-kun let me. Still… I want to help. It's hard being stuck in here, never able to do anything or be of use. Sometimes I want to prove that I can do more."

For a moment he felt lost, hearing something so similar to what he often felt echoed back at him, then he gave her an open and genuine smile that surprised him as much as it did her. "Not being able to help is hard. So you do what you can and hope it is enough."

She thought over the words. "Hosui-san, I don't think Yen-kun views you as useless," she said after a moment.

"No. And I doubt he thinks that of you either. But I know that I can't help how he needs to be helped, and that is the main problem. And I am too weak to go against orders and do what I feel is right." It felt different admitting it out loud; not bad exactly, but more like a bit of weight had left him.

"Things will work themselves out." Kirishima's serious tone made him look up. How could she sound so certain? "I won't be here forever. Even if it takes another ten years, I know someone will eventually find a cure for me. And you won't be in the situation you are in now forever either. Someday you'll be the adult who makes the decisions. You won't be trapped by duty forever."

"But how much will be lost in the mean time?" Aya mused aloud.

Kirishima shrugged. "Who knows? But at least the future can still hold hope." She smiled inside her curtain, the only thing separating her from the toxins man and nature had built against her. "I wish you luck Hosui-san. If you're ever in the area, don't hesitate to visit."

And that, Aya thought, was the end of the conversation. He murmured well wishes back politely and moved toward the door. He stopped at a small snuffling sound from the dog maga, Tom. "Kirishima-san, how did you end up with a maga partner?"

"Hmm? Tom? Oh." She smiled fondly at the maga in her lap. "He was my puppy once. I got sick and came to the hospital when he was little and he ran away to try and see me. He died on the way and his spirit was haunting where he used to meet me when I came home from school. Yen-kun led him to me and Tom decided not to pass on. Does that answer your question?"

Aya sighed. "Yes. Thank you for your time Kirishima-san."

"No worries. It was nice to see a new face. And, um, Hosui-san? I hope you find your partner." She hugged Tom a bit tighter.

Aya smiled again feeling weary. "Thank you, Kirishima-san. I hope I do to." He closed her door softly behind him.

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_Thanks for reading! Please review! :) Comments, questions, criticism, suggestions, all are much appreciated._


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch 7:** _AN: I looked up the kanji for names of the main characters, just out of curiosity. Aya's name has the kanji for "figure" and "Person," Jin's was anything from "battle formation" to "camp" or possibly referring to a sword. Yen's name is the kanji for "flame" or "blaze." On other notes, gakushi is basically a bard, the kanji for maga is a variant of "evil," Miki's name essentially means "future," and the kanji for the Ragun family name consists of "equal" and "army." I kind of want to work their names, or at least Aya's in here somehow, but I'm not sure if it will work. My first thought at seeing Aya's kanji was "Wait, it's like saying he's named 'doll' or that he's not human!" Yeah. Fun, but I should have been writing my English paper while looking these up. -_-;_

* * *

Yen stared at the ceiling of his hospital room. The drone of heart monitors and steady snoring were the only distractions. It was maddening. He should be out there fighting to get his place back, nit stuck in a room. How could he avenge Jin or his father when he was stuck in bed with an IV in his arm? He sighed. Truthfully, his wounds weren't that bad. It was mostly bruising and damage to one forearm. He could still function properly as a gakushi. There wasn't anything wrong with him spiritually.

The idea of his uncle sitting in his house, eating at his table, patrolling _his_ land… Well, for the first time he was realizing just how territorial a gakushi could be. If only he wasn't stuck in the hospital.

He sighed. He had had an attack. He wasn't supposed to have anymore. Hadn't the doctors said that he was safe from relapses? But…but Aya seemed to have understood them better than the doctors did. He had always thought it was more psychological than physical. It was part of why he hadn't wanted to take his medicine. It was admitting something was wrong with his mind, and when your mind was your greatest weapon much of the time, it was not a weakness you wanted to admit.

But… He frowned. It seemed like it would only be worse if he kept ignoring that he had such a problem. And he couldn't afford to lose control anymore.

Aya… Yen cringed internally. He had been too harsh. Again. Today had broken his promise with himself to not make Aya look so…lost, left out, sad… And Aya had forgiven him in a heartbeat, and that was the true cause of his guilt. Yell at him, then he goes and kisses him… It had been nice to hug for a moment. If it hadn't been for Aya's mother interrupting… he had meant to warn him. Not just against his father but… Something odd was happening, and it didn't feel like it was entirely caused by human hands. There was something darker out there than his uncle scheming for power. He couldn't figure out what though.

His eyes slid shut against the stark white of the room. Under the harshness of the heart monitor, he could feel his own heartbeat and the sounds of his breath, assuring him he was alive. Koga was a flickery shadow presence beside him. Like Sora, he wasn't in the best of shape. They could use a doctor as well. What had happened to his Father's maga? It might be gone by now… If it was, that was not a good sign for his family. A gakushi could accomplish little without his maga companion. For his father's and his own sake, he hoped his father's maga would be alright.

Yen ran through his physical well being and cataloged his injuries. Most of them would not be unduly impeding to his duty. Two days. He nodded to himself. He would give himself two days to heal and then he would leave. Hopefully by then Jin or his father would wake up. He wanted to go into this knowing they would live. He grumbled to himself, settling down to nap as there was nothing better to do. He had better heal fast.

Two days passed quickly, but not quickly enough. The only development had been Jin coming out of his drugged sleep for long enough to recognize their mother before going under again. Yen was glad that he had managed to wake up. It made him feel a bit more hopeful, and it certainly helped their mother. His father was still unconscious. There didn't seem to be any good or bad news in that respect. He was stable, and that was that.

Yen stood up from his hospital bed, disconnecting the IV he had been given. He wasn't sure why. Unlike Jin or his father he could eat and drink on his own just fine, but it was time to go. On the other side of the room, his mother was curled up in a chair again, like she had been for the last two days. She was going to have a really stiff neck if she kept it up, but he didn't blame her.

With careful footsteps, he moved to look at Jin. His brother looked very vulnerable. He wasn't sprawled out like he normally slept and it made him look small. Yen brushed a hand over an unwounded shoulder, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind," he whispered. He put the letter he had written earlier on the stand next to Jin. "I can't take Sora with me, but he seems to be healing on his own. Don't do anything stupid." Like he was doing. Yen knew it was insane to go on his own, but he had to. No one else could at the moment. And he had to check on what allies he had. "I'll be back later, Jin. Take care of Mom and Dad." He tightened his grip on his brother's shoulder for a second, then let go, turning to where Koga was waiting.

_Time to go?_ Koga asked.

"Yes." The gakuki had been set near the door and he pulled on the gloves he had convinced his mother to get earlier. His headband was gone, but he would make do without it. He had Koga and his gakuki and his brain. They would have to be weapons enough.

No one noticed them leave. Yen had enough experience sneaking in and out of places that he could assure no one noticed. It was not a typical gakushi skill, but one he had picked up over the years. Blend in with your surroundings and no one would even look twice. He knew that when his mother woke up, she would find the letter. He also knew it would make her angry and scared, but he hoped she would understand that it was something he had to do. This was as Ragun heir, but also as Yen, someone who was very angry and wanted his family avenged. For his rational mind, the last bit was hard to admit, but he knew what Aya had meant when he told him to be himself. He was the Ragun heir. It would always shape how he acted and thought. But damn it if he wasn't angry on a more personal level as well.

It was raining outside. The water was purifying the taint left by the maga outbreak, but it wouldn't be enough. Likelier than not, things wouldn't work as they usually did in the area. Yen wished he had a coat or an umbrella or something. He just had his gakuki and the clothes on his back. Worse, he didn't dare go to his home and risk running into his uncle at this early in his plan.

He looked at Koga, loyally standing at his side. "We're going to visit Mikami and Goroh," he said. "They need to be told what's going on." Koga didn't reply, flickering back into nothingness as he stepped out into the rain. It was cold, and went straight down his back, but he ignored it, thinking of the day when he ran into Aya meditating in the rain. If Aya could focus enough to ensnare a maga after sitting in icy rain for hours, he could endure long enough to reach the branch family home.

People rushed by on either side of him as he walked, coats pulled tight and umbrellas out. A few stared at him in disbelief. He was fortunate that his bandages weren't showing or someone might really stare. It was disempowering, walking in the rain. Your clothing stuck to your skin, hampering your movements, hair fell in your eyes or water made it hard to see and it was surprising how cold you felt so quickly, but he walked on. It took half an hour by foot to reach the compound from the hospital, and by then Yen's teeth were chattering.

He raised a hand to knock only to have his hand shake so badly he had to stop and collect himself before reaching out to knock. The sound was muffled. The traditional style door absorbed much of the impact, rattling more than it banged, but after a moment he could hear footsteps.

"What do you want?" a tired voice asked.

Yen looked at Mikami-kun. His eyes were shadowed and he looked like he hadn't had a chance to bathe in a while. The hand holding the door open was bandaged. "Hello, Mikami-kun," Yen said. He could have said anything really, but he knew it would only get lost in whatever reaction would follow.

"Yen? What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the hospital!" The door slid open further as Mikami shoved it open, pulling Yen out of the rain. "You're soaked! Are you trying to kill yourself, idiot?"

"Nice to see you too," Yen muttered as he was dragged dripping down the hall. The young branch head shoved a towel in his face.

"Dry off. Stay here." He stomped off, leaving Yen bemused in what seemed to be the annex to the baths. Yen set his gakuki to the side and pulled off his shirt and tried to get his hair dry. The sound of feet returned as he was stripping his pants off.

"Here, wear—aagh." Mikami looked the other way hurriedly. "Here." He held out a change of clothes, a bit too big for Yen, but seeing as it was a robe, it wouldn't matter too much. "Uh, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Thanks." Yen took the robe, examining it and ignoring the question for a moment. Considering the Mikami family crest and the strange geometric choice of patter, he was willing to bet it belonged to Mikami. He glanced at the other boy, still standing awkwardly in the doorway, looking anywhere but at him. Yen smiled to himself slightly, finishing drying. Even though they were wet, he kept his underwear on for Mikami's sake. "You don't have to be embarrassed, you know."

"Er, right." Mikami glanced at him, then away. "Just put the robe on, ok?"

Yen did, taking his time. It was warm in here. His shaking had stopped the second he had dried his hair, and now with the addition of the robe, he was on his way to feeling normal again.

"I have tea, if you'd like…" It was weird to see Mikami acting timid. Yen wondered if it was because of his near nudity or if it was due to his position in the clan. He hadn't seen Mikami very often since he officially became heir, not since Mikami's own ceremony of succession a few months ago.

"That sounds nice," Yen said. He knotted the belt comfortably tight. "I trust that we won't be interrupted?"

Mikami looked at him a moment and nodded. "No one should be coming by today," he said. In it Yen knew that they had come already, and likely would come again. "Now will you tell me what you're doing here, injured, and soaked to the bone?"

Yen followed him to the kitchen where Kana's maga, Kira, was preparing tea. She held out a cup, bowing nervously. Yen took it with a smile. "Thank you."

"Sit down, sit down," Mikami grunted, taking a seat himself. He seemed a lot more comfortable now that Yen was clothed. Maybe he was body shy? "Now, talk!"

Not willing to be rushed, Yen sipped the tea first, letting the warmth sink into his bones. It was good tea, too. He let his gaze fall on Mikami, his expression turning serious. "I'm sure you've heard that the rest of my family is in the hospital. The main household was attacked. We were on separate missions, trying to deal with the influx of maga that keep appearing lately. Dad went one way, Jin another, and I managed to defeat the maga I was assigned to alone… But everything felt wrong. We went back to the main house, feeling a disturbance, only to find it overrun with maga." He shook his head. "The wards were still up and everything, but they were inside. Jin and I tried to clear them out, not really having much of a choice once they noticed us, but there were too many." He gripped the teacup, glad for the slight burn on his palms from its heat. "There were ancients. They shouldn't be awake let alone in the city. Jin got knocked out. I figured I would have to hold on until Dad returned. But it wasn't Dad that came. It was our uncle. He had Dad, dragging him around when he should have been hospitalized and he's trying to blackmail me." He worried for a moment that he might break the cup with his grip, and loosened his hold slightly. "He threatened Jin and the branch families…"

Mikami listened in silence. He sighed when it looked like Yen was done. "Someone was here yesterday. They said we had to follow the Hosui family for a while. …Only the way they said it, it was clear that it wasn't going to be anything temporary. I tried to refuse, Yen, but… they took Kana."

Yen glanced at where Kira was standing at the counter.

"Kira's here because she's acting as a go between." Mikami ran a hand through his spiky hair angrily. "I don't know what to do. And you still haven't explained why you walked through the rain to get here when you should be having bed rest."

"You don't think I'm going to let him threaten me, do you?" Yen's voice was almost inaudible as he sipped the tea. He had been expecting it, really. Of course Mikami would be targeted and threatened as well. He was as much of a threat if not more of one as Yen half the time. He had more experience than either of the main family's heirs, and traditionally if both head and heirs were unable to fulfill their roles, it would fall to the branch heads to take over until their leader was able to fulfill their duty. But what could Yen do about it at the moment?

"You're crazy you know." Mikami looked sad, but his tone was understanding. "He can put you in the hospital for good, even if he doesn't kill you. You're injured already, what can you do?"

"I don't know," Yen admitted with a hollow laugh. "But I had to check on at least one of the branch families first. If he's gone to you, he will have gone to the others. I suppose it's not worth checking with them since they'll be immobilized as well."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help," Mikami said sharply.

Yen met his eyes across the table. "I don't want you to risk your family for me, Mikami-kun."

"What were those vows for if I can't serve your clan when you're in need?" Mikami shot back. "Kana understands. And I'm sure some of the other branch families feel the same way. The Toba family would never betray you any more than the rest of us would. Don't count us out completely. We just have to be more creative about how we help."

For a moment Yen didn't know what to say, then he smiled. "Thanks. Don't get caught."

"Don't worry about us." He grinned toothily. "I want to cut down the freaks that hurt everyone. And no one threatens Kana and gets away with it."

"Could I stay the night?" He didn't want to ask, but Yen didn't have anywhere else he could go at the moment. It wasn't likely that anyone would come to Mikami's house for a while, at least not until someone notices he was gone. Which…would be in a few hours if he had calculated correctly. Enough time to rest up and move on. Should he try contacting the Toba family next? Or contact Bara-sensei to see if he could heal what wounds Sora and Koga had…or even his father's maga. Dr. Bara didn't usually make house calls, but if he heard that they were unable to leave the hospital… Did Grandma and Grandpa know what happened? Maybe he should get in touch with Utsukita-kun and Meiya? All dealings with them came at a cost, but if he went there, he would be more or less guaranteed safety for a bit. He sighed. There was too much uncertainty in the situation.

"Sure," Mikami was saying. "I have guest rooms. Do you need dinner?" He started to get up.

"Don't bother." Yen yawned. The warmth and the tea added to his inactivity the last few days were too much. "Some fresh bandages and a place to sleep a few hours would be all I need at the moment."

Mikami glanced at the thick bandages. "You're not going to be able to bandage them back up on your own."

"Probably not, no. Could you help?"

For a moment he thought the branch head would refuse, but he sighed instead. "Sure. Just…follow Kira to the guest room and I'll bring the bandages."

Yen watched him leave and looked at the maga standing near the counter. She bowed her head and motioned toward the doorway. He followed her out and down the wooden floored hall. The walls were old fashioned paper screens, a couple with repairs. He wasn't sure what he should think about that. Were they having financial trouble? Or had they just been temporarily fixed until the paper could be replaced? Kira opened a door on the right side of the hall, bowing to him.

"Thank you," he said, nodding in return. Inside was a futon folded in a corner, a small end table with a lamp the only other addition to the tatami mats. There was a wall scroll with calligraphy tastefully hung on the wall opposite the door. Kira entered and unfolded the futon while Yen stood to the right of the doorway, not sure where to go.

"I've got bandages," Mikami said, popping his head in. "Sit down and I'll help you change them."

Yen loosened the knot of his robe enough to slip it off his shoulders as he sat on the edge of the futon. Across the room, Mikami hesitated for half a step. "Is there a problem?" Yen asked bluntly.

"Er…"

"You froze up earlier when I undressed, and when I was drying off. It's not like you haven't seen another male torso before."

"It's not that!"

Yen looked behind him where Mikami stood mid step in the middle of the room. He was passing a medical kit from hand to hand as Kira watched on near t he door. Yen lifted an eyebrow. "Oh really. Mikami-kun, you've seen me without a shirt plenty of times. If I remember correctly, you even showed up at one of my swimming lessons with a message from my father."

"It's just…er, you like your cousin, right?"

"Mikami-kun, who I like has nothing to do with why you are uncomfortable to see me half clothed." Unless…. "Are you homophobic?"

"No! No, I'm not." Mikami waved the med-kit around wildly. "Er," he scratched his cheek, blushing. "You don't like any other men, do you?"

Yen sighed. "Mikami-kun, I don't and never have thought of you as anything other than a friend and colleague. Does that help?"

"Yeah. Sure." He finally sat down next to Yen and took out the bandages. "Um, please don't tell anyone about this ok?"

"I'll keep my mouth closed," Yen said. He wondered if he should be amused or annoyed. Or both. Instead he sat still and let Mikami unravel the bandages as carefully as possible. It was a slow process as Mikami was avoiding touching his skin if at all possible. Yen held his arm at a better angle. It hurt to lift it that high, but it gave Mikami better access and moved it further from his body.

Mikami hissed as he pulled back layers of fabric. "What happened?"

"Ice burns," Yen said. He winced as a length of bandage stuck to his skin. "It's more or less instant frostbite of the outer layer of my skin. Jin has it a lot worse. The maga that caused it only touched me a few seconds."

"A _maga_ did that? It looks like someone had their hand on fire and grabbed your arm." He was gentle as he pulled the last length of cloth off. "I have burn ointment, would it help?"

"Probably. I just need it sanitized. Infection is all I'm worried about… It's healing quickly."

"I don't even want to know how bad it was initially." Mikami opened a jar with a pale colored cream in it. "This should feel cold," he said, dabbing it onto the reddish-purple ice burns.

It felt soothing. The cool burn ointment and Mikami's careful smoothing it into the wound made Yen want to relax onto the bed and take a nap. All too soon, the bandages were being tediously rewrapped, the pressure from the cloth stinging against the wounds. Burns needed air to heal, but he didn't have time to sit with his skin exposed, and he was in an unsterile environment. Frostbite used aloe ointment, and it could take weeks to heal. "You're lucky it's only skin damage," Mikami murmured, tying the last knot.

"I know. Jin had some second degree frost bite. His arm will scar…not to mention the after affects. They're treating it with warm water." Yen looked at his own arm, knowing it could have been worse. The skin hadn't blistered, and the damage was only to the outermost layers of skin. Jin had been hurt pretty badly where the claws had gripped him, and that was discounting the bruising and bone fractures from being tossed.

"Any other injuries that need taken care of?" Mikami held up the roll of bandages, nodding at the bandage on Yen's left arm.

"Oh, I forgot about these." The frostbite was the steady ache. His other injuries faded into the background unless jarred. He unraveled the bandage on his other arm, looking at the stitches. There were five. He was unlucky enough that he had needed them. The gash had been worse than he thought. His knee, now that he thought of it, was also throbbing. It was a yellow-green color under its bandage by this point.

"That's going to scar," Mikami said to fill the silence. He was looking a bit too closely at the stitching. "Antiseptic," he added, pulling out a tube.

"I can get the rest myself," Yen offered.

"I've got it." He slathered on ointment and wrapped it quickly. He seemed more comfortable with the cut than the frost burns. The medical supplies were packed away and Kira moved to take them back to their cabinet. "Get some sleep, Yen-kun. I'll wake you when it looks like you need to move on."

"Thanks, Mikami-kun." He slid his arms back into his sleeves. "For everything."

"Eh. Don't mention it. Really." Mikami scratched his chin, eying the ceiling. "I'll be in my room. If you need me just ask Kira."

"Thank you," Yen repeated. He waited until Mikami had slid the door shut behind him to collapse onto the futon. It hadn't been a particularly active or eventful day. The day wasn't even half over yet, but… But with recovering from injuries and spending the last few days restless from inactivity and unable to sleep… He yawned. The bedding was warm and inviting, a temporary safe haven against the world. He curled up under the blanket and was asleep in moments. ***

The soft pitter-patter of feet on tatami mats woke him. It was dark, so hours must have passed. Yen looked to his right where the sound came from and met Goroh's glowing eyes. The doglike maga tapped the mat with a forepaw, nodding toward the door. Koga ghosted into existence in his peripheral. He rolled out of bed.

"Is Mikami-kun still here?" Yen asked quietly.

Goroh shook his head and nodded to the door where Kira stood looking nervous. She fidgeted and glanced around.

"I have everything I brought," Yen assured her. His clothes were clean and lying next to the bed with his gakuki. "I'll change and leave."

_No time…_ Kira's otherworld voice whispered in his mind. _Come…_

It was oddly personal having someone's maga speak or touch you, Yen decided as Kira tugged the robe's sleeve. It didn't bother him to touch Sora, and it was completely different in the midst of battle where you were comrades and touch could be inevitable at times, but here, with Kira who he barely knew it seemed too much like touching a part of Kana's soul. Kana, who was still devoted to Jin last Yen knew. He tried not to think too hard about that. The gentle insistent tugs led him out the door and down the hall faster than a walk, but not quite a jog. He stumbled into Kira as she stopped suddenly.

Floorboards creaked around the corner and a door slid open than shut. Yen could hear Mikami's voice. It was flat and neutral, the voice he used when being professional. That meant someone important was visiting, and Yen didn't need many guesses to figure out who.

"Is there a back way out?" he asked softly. Goroh nudged his hand and padded softly in the opposite direction. Yen followed past the line of closed doors and paper screens, the only change along the walls being the hanging scrolls in between doorways.

The exited through a doorway off of the kitchen. It was small, built low into the wall, the kind of door you had to crawl through. Yen wondered what it had been built for, or if it actually had been intended for escape. It certainly blended into the wall.

"Thanks Goroh, Kira," Yen said as he slipped through the hole. Koga followed, fitting with more difficulty than he would have in the past.

Kira let out a little _Ah_ of sound and grabbed something off the counter. A bag was shoved roughly into Yen's hands. She made shooing motions, looking over her shoulder at the kitchen door.

Inside the bag was food for a day, a change of clothes, and an umbrella. Yen smiled and added his original clothes to it. "Thanks," he said again. He slung the bag over his shoulder. "Keep Mikami-kun safe."

The rain had cleared while he slept. In its place was an icy chill. Yen shivered as water dropped from the leaves on the trees near the kitchen window. He was crouched near an azalea bush, its blossoms only partially open and weighed down by the water left by the rain. He would go to see Utsukita and Meiya. He wondered if offering water after rain to the statue guarding the path to their shop would still work or if it needed a food offering more after having been drenched all day. Either way, Yen was set thanks to Kira's provisions.

The door shut behind him, and when he glanced back, it was indistinguishable from the rest of the wall. "Huh, now wouldn't that be useful at home," he murmured. Koga stirred next to him, tense and uncomfortable.

_Maga. Strong maga are close_, Koga said. He looked back toward the right wing of the house where the reception room was.

Yen nodded. "Of course. With Hosui here, I'm not surprised." Now how to get out…? Ah. Along the fence line in the back there was a small gate built into the wall. It was probably used in the past as a delivery entrance or for use by servants, but it would do for a timely escape. He looked back one last time. Mikami would be all right. He was smart and he knew what he was doing. Yen looked forward and stepped quickly through the wet grass, sticking to the shadows until he reached the gate. It opened without a creak, the hinges well oiled. Beyond it was a dirt path into a patch of scrub and trees, a line of stones indicating a shrine further in the wooded area. The path split off to the left, leading back toward the main road where he could take the side walk, but Yen hesitated. Taking the main road would be predictable. There were probably maga watching the main roadway, so it would be more beneficial to cut through the woods, pass the shrine, and hope there was a path out further on. If there wasn't, well, it was not a very large space. The woods couldn't be more than a few acres at least, being on the outskirts of the city.

Now…to get to Utsukita he had to go to Tatsunami Street, and that was…North. Cutting through the woods would take him east, so he would have to double back west a bit, but it was worth it not to get caught. Water soaked through Yen's pants as he waded through tall grass where the path had been neglected. Twigs scraped his arms, aggravating the bandages where the undergrowth was thicker and catching on his gakuki. The path to the shrine had definitely seen better days. The trail was a barely visible parting between bush and tree, and the occasional stone marker showing he had the right direction. Only the peace in the surroundings was proof to Yen that there was an up kept shrine at all.

Koga slipped silently through watery shadows behind him. It was nice to know that the maga was watching his back. Yen didn't think he would be able to handle negotiating with a maga at the moment. While the sleep had helped, his arm ached and the exertion of ducking undergrowth was pulling uncomfortably at his stitches.

It took maybe fifteen minutes to reach the shrine. It was small, made of stone, at one point in time carefully cut so that they fit together without mortar. It had moss growing on one corner, but it was clear that it had been removed at some point in the last year. The current growth was jagged and uneven as if it were trying to reclaim lost ground after being torn off previously. The wooden doors that normally would have sheltered the altar had long rotted, and no one had bothered to replace them. The altar inside, however, was surprisingly clean. All in all, Yen was still a good foot taller than the structure, though a couple years ago he might have been able to fit inside.

Yen pulled out one of the rice balls that had been packed in the bag Kira gave him and set it on the edge of the shrine, clapping his hands together. "Thank you for allowing us to travel through your territory," he said to the wood spirit. "Please accept this offering in gratitude." The air was still, the night sounds around them becoming hushed. Yen waited but no figure appeared. He clapped again, bowed to the shrine, and headed east to get through the rest of the woods. The stillness felt oppressive for a moment, then it vanished. The offering had been accepted.

The trip out of the wood went much faster. Branches caught less, the mud wasn't as slippery, and it was as if something pulled him toward the other side. Yen thanked the wood spirit that had to have helped him and headed north.

Inevitably, when he reached the stairs lined with jizou, his clothes were wet again. The dew from the trees and the grass along the way more than soaked the thin cotton robe and plastered it to his frame. It chilled him, but the wet bandages were worse. Yen sighed, climbing stairs as he looked for the backward facing statue. It was halfway up the stairs, red bib and stone hat out of place among the others, much like its oddly blank stare.

Yen pulled out a water bottle. The dish in front of it was full of water already, but… He added a rice ball to the mix, pouring water until it overflowed the dish and setting the rice ball next to it. "An offering," he murmured. The air turned still and the statue smiled, sending a shockwave through the spiritual plane. Koga shivered next to him at its force, and the two watched the road unfold in front of them. "Now we wait," he said.

The trees shook drops from their leaves as a breeze passed through them. The night was still and quiet, too still. A presence made Yen look up at where a cat sat in the fork of a tree. "Meiya," Yen said. "Where's Utsukita-kun?"

An impossible looking grin grew on the cat's face as it jumped to the ground. It waved its tails nonchalantly. "He's busy, so I am your guide."

"Busy with business or something personal?"

Meiya laughed, flicking one tail toward the trail. "Do maga count as business or personal when they are neither customer nor friend?"

"Ah." He gripped his gakuki. "Anything I can do to help?"

Meiya looked at Yen's arm pointedly. "Well, if you hurry you can at least help drive off the weakened ones."

It was annoying to be dismissed like that, Yen thought. It was like being back to square one where the shopkeeper was setting up tasks to prove that he was worthy of being a customer. "I take it I won't have to be tested?" Yen asked wryly.

Meiya grinned. "Ah, and here I thought you were over that. Now hurry up. It's not fair to make him do all the work, Ragun head."

Yen flinched. "I'm not the head."

"You, your father, it doesn't make much difference at the moment. Someone is where he shouldn't be and you're next by right." Meiya took off down the path and Yen was forced to run after him.

"How many maga are there?" Yen asked, panting. The running was warming him up at least.

"Not many, but then, I'm not sure how many you could handle right now…"

Yen scowled at the forked tail flicking a ways ahead of him. He was injured, not useless. And it wasn't like he was an attack type like Jin, he was more of an immobilizer. "I can negotiate perfectly well as I am," he grumbled.

Meiya laughed again. From his behavior, Yen surmised that the maga threat had probably already been subdued. If the cat spirit had the time to joke, it couldn't be too strong of a threat. The path gave way to the shop and Yen was filled with the same sort of surprise he always got no matter how often he had visited it. For some reason he always expected it to be better up kept or larger. It had such a forceful impression on him that it was strange that its appearance didn't mimic its effect.

A maga shrieked from somewhere nearby and Meiya paused. "Well, it looks like the ones inside have finally been caught…"

Yen blinked. "They got through your wards too?" he asked, thinking of his home.

"Mm. The Ragun household as well? Seems we have an annoying enemy on our hands…"

The front door opened with a snap. "What took you so long?" Utsukita snapped. "I've already dealt with them." He stared at Yen. "Ah. So you came after all." He shot Meiya a glare and swept back inside.

"Ahh…As to the point as ever," Meiya muttered. He shrugged, taking human form. "You might as well come in. He'll be cleaning up."

Yen relaxed his grip on his gakuki. He wasn't disappointed that he hadn't fought exactly, it was more…He wanted to feel like he was doing something and a battle would have helped. He sighed and patted Koga's head. "Next time," he promised.

The inside of the shop was abnormally quiet. Unlike the last few times he had visited, he wasn't immediately assaulted by Akari and Kureha, the two dolls that had the habit of latching onto him and Jin whenever they saw them. The air did smell like smoke though, so it was a high probability that some part of the shop caught fire.

"I was expecting you earlier," Utsukita's voice said from somewhere deeper in the shop. "Even allowing for your injury, you're late. And what are you wearing?" He stuck his head around a doorway, looking strange with the pile of miscellaneous objects in his arms. After he had gotten his sister back, he still didn't talk much, but what he did say was usually sharp and to the point of what he was thinking.

"I was at Mikami-kun's home. I stopped to get information on the branch families before coming here." Yen bent down to help Meiya move a vase with his good arm, the motion causing the robe he was wearing to rub against his arm uncomfortably. "The robe is Mikami-kun's as well. I had to leave in a bit of a hurry and didn't have time to change back into my clothes."

Utsukita pushed his glasses back up his nose and nodded. "I'll be back in a moment."

Meiya lounged against the wall, the vase now righted. "And that is his way of showing concern, believe it or not." He yawned. "Not very good at it is he?"

"He still doesn't let many people close." Yen plucked at the wet robe unhappily. Somehow it wasn't looking like he would be allowed to change into his dry clothes.

"Mm. You are probably his most consistent visitor though." The cat spirit grinned, one eye closed. "He actually approves of you too."

"I feel like I should be visiting for more than business if that's the case," Yen muttered. He wasn't friends with the shop keeper, he could barely call him an acquaintance, but helping him find his sister had definitely given them a connection.

"Here." Yen turned and received a towel in the face. "You're dripping." Utsukita watched expressionlessly as Yen wrapped the towel around his shoulders. "Come," he said after a moment. "We have news to share."

"How did the maga get in?" Yen asked as they walked down the hall, Meiya trailing behind.

"The same way they likely got through your defenses. Scrolls."

"Scrolls…" It made sense, but how would they set them off? Hmm, more questions than answers. Although where the scrolls came from was obvious. Yen could still remember the time with Aya in the rain and the scroll Hosui-san had used…

"Evidence points to the Kamen Kugutsushi being behind it."

Yen blinked, pulled from his memory. "Kamen Kugutsushi? It isn't the Hosui clan?"

"…Why would you suspect them?" Utsukita asked carefully.

"They were behind the attack on my home…unless they weren't…" Yen trailed off, brain making rapid connections. Hosui-san was too strong. Even given Aya's help, there was a power leap in there. He had never been a threat before, but suddenly he was, and he was making a move as well. That meant he had gained allies. And what better allies than the enemy of gakushi everywhere? Plus, Aya's family was already on the fringe of gakushi morals. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume they had stepped over the thin line separating the two sides. And it would explain where the Kamen Kugutsushi got the scrolls… "I see… So the real masterminds are the Kamen Kugutsushi. That…oddly enough that makes a lot more sense."

Utsukita raised an eyebrow. "I assume your reasons for suspecting your uncle's clan lie with his current takeover." He frowned. "That would have been the logical conclusion if I hadn't already had more information."

"What information?"

"A ritual," Meiya cut in. He was lounging against the doorway looking both smug and serious, which was a strange combination. "There have been rumors lately about a ritual to link this world with the spirit plane, and wouldn't you know it, the Kamen Kugutsushi are at its core."

"Don't we already have links to the spirit plane?" Yen asked. He thought about all the times he had gone into different pockets of space. Heck, even this shop didn't exist in regular space.

"He means another world," Utsukita said. He glared at Meiya's carefree shrug. "The ritual is supposed to link with another plane of existence. The details aren't clear, but there is a link to a legend, two warriors opening the gate to the temple of the living god. The translation of the text was fairly ambiguous. Some interpret it as a spirit plane, but most people believe it connects to another world entirely. They all agree that opening the gate will bring power to the person who manages it."

"A world gate…" The hairs on his arms lifted in a chill that had nothing to do with his soaked clothing. Memories flashed through his mind, all of them bits of dreams—daydreams mostly—when he had felt, just for a moment, that he was somewhere else, that there was more than just the pool or a battle with a maga… "That's… not good."

Utsukita gave him a look, one eyebrow raised. Yen returned it. Yes, he had stated the obvious. It was perfectly acceptable to voice one's thoughts out loud. "What course of action do you recommend?" he asked finally. Utsukita had known longer, and he trusted the other boy to think through a problem clearly. He was good at understanding the whole picture, and that understanding was what Yen needed at the moment.

Utsukita was silent as he thought. Yen found himself listening to him breathe. The shopkeeper even breathed steadily, the same amount of time pausing before breathing in and out. "I will need a bit more time," Utsukita said finally, "to decide on the best course of action." He pushed his glasses up his face in the practiced manner of someone who always had to readjust their vision. "Rest here. Meiya can get ointment from storage for your wounds."

"Ah…" Yen had never been invited to stay any longer than a transaction required. "Thank you."

Utsukita glanced at Meiya who vanished into the depths of the shop. "Do not thank me yet. The ointment will be going on your list of debts." He smiled. "Along with the vases Jin broke the last time you were here."

"Are you sure there aren't any tasks I could complete to make us even?"

"The time will come eventually." As if hitting a wall in his conversational abilities, he cut off.

"Doesn't it always come down to eventually," Yen murmured to himself. In all honesty, he suspected Utsukita wanted him in his debt to assure he kept coming back. "Is there a room or…?" Yen asked in a more audible voice.

Utsukita nodded, then motioned to where Meiya was returning, a pot cupped in one hand. "Alright, Ragun-sama," Meiya said, making Yen wince at the title he attached to his name. "Off to get you patched up. Yoshino-chan is making you something to eat, so you'd better be hungry."

"Thank you, Meiya, Utsukita-kun." Yen nodded to each of them as the cat spirit latched onto his good arm, dragging him out.

"Hurry up! I want to get this done before Yoshino-chan finishes. I can't have you seducing her with your half clothed body!"

Yen raised an eyebrow at the accusation and as he was pulled through the door he could swear he heard Utsukita snort with amusement. Perhaps he was hearing things. Utsukita never looked amused.

It took Meiya half the time it took Mikami to change the bandages. The ointment was cool and tingled when it touched his skin. Meiya smeared it on all of his wounds, bruises included. Yen felt a bit like a mummy with all the bandages that were layering up, but he had to admit that the medicine was already chasing away the aches and pains. When the cat spirit was done he slapped Yen on the back familiarly.

"Well, you're all patched up." Meiya grinned. "If I come back later and find that you've left anything on your plate though, I'm removing your stitches. One. By. One." He said this with the same smile, which was disturbing enough without the accompanied plucking motions.

If it hadn't been for the need to be grateful, Yen would have thrown a threat right back. He ignored him instead, looking to where Yoshino stood in the doorway. She had a smile on her face, but there was tension her jaw that boded ill for Meiya.

"Here is some soup and rice. They should be easy to digest." She set the tray of miso soup and a perfectly molded bowl of white rice on the floor by Yen's side. There was an assortment of rolled eggs and pickles as well, but no meat.

"Thank you, Yoshino-san." He picked up the chopsticks.

"Yoshino-chaaaan!" Meiya cried, practically swooning. "Is there any of your delicious cooking left for me?"

The dangerous twitch Yen had noticed earlier reappeared in Yoshino's jaw, her feline claws appearing a bit more noticeable in the light. "Meiya, do you need to be reminded that we have a guest?"

"But Yoshino-chan—guh!" Meiya grunted as an arm caught him neatly in his middle, knocking the air from his lungs. Yoshino smiled cheerfully, shoving the gasping Meiya out the door. "Rest well, Ragun-sama. Don't worry about the food, eat what you are able."

The door slid shut, and Yen listened to the ominous thumps and hisses on the other side before carefully picking up his soup bowl. It tasted as good as any of Yoshino's cooking, although he normally let Jin eat what was presented to them when they visited. He gripped the lacquered soup bowl tighter than he meant to, and Koga's reassuring touch on his mind snapped him out of his frustration before he did any damage to the chopsticks or bowl. Yen looked at the soup; suddenly not as hungry as he had been moments before. He ate it anyway, though, every scrap on the tray, and with each bite his thoughts cleared and his determination grew stronger. Thoughts centered around his brother, he began to plan.

* * *

_AN: Holy crap did this take forever to write! I'm sorry it took so long. I was literally writing sentences at a time in come places writer's block was so bad...Good news, I know how many chapters are left. THere will be four plus a fluffy epilogue. I believe in happy endings. But until then there will be more chaos! MWAHAHAHA. Gah, I am not looking forward to next week and the 21 pages of essays and 30 pages of writing I will have to turn in. I hate finals. For those of you who still care, leave a review! They really do help motivate me._


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